Below I have compiled a list of 20 awesome sports themed logo designs for your inspiration. They all are contest winners from 48hourslogo.com completed contests. With each design I will describe its particular strengths and explain why it made the list. You can use the techniques described as a tool for what you would like to see in your new logo designs.
I’ve tried to cover the entire field, from traditional sports teams, to CrossFit studios, to personal trainers. Each logo was picked from the Sports/Recreation category. Despite the differences, they all exude physicality and energy.
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Active8 | by VhienceFX
Active8 is a sports and outdoor product brand. Their goal was to have a design that combined “Active” and “8” to read as “Activate.” The worry was that the “8” would be tacked as an afterthought. VhienceFX creatively combined the “8” with a swoosh that serves to pull “active” and “8” together while giving the design as a whole some forward momentum. The end result is a sleek layout, simple enough to be used on all their tags, signage, and merchandise.
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ASSA | by mashoodpp
The American Samoa Softball Association was looking for a logo that combined their sport with their native colors of red, white, and navy. Representing the U.S. Territory of the American Samoa in the Pacific, they were open to using just their initials. mashoodpp delivered a design that features great use of negative space, placing a softball player mid-swing between the “A” and “S.” Combined with the coloring of “A,” it give the initials instant interest while maintaining readability.
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Ammo Boss | by studelossantos
The people behind Ammo Boss have created an innovative device used to dispense ammunition that will be used by hunters and law enforcement. They chose a masculine design, featuring the base of a shotgun shell as the “O” in “Ammo.” The font used is bold and slightly futuristic, hinting and the new technology it represents. Giving the words a steel gloss and steel frame reinforce the strength of the new product.
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Beast Mode | by haze
A dedicated hockey club, Beast Mode wanted a logo that combined strength and intensity with a hockey stick, puck, or skates. What they chose was a wolf so powerful, he was actually breaking the stick in half! A great illustration, you can see the muscles pulsing on the forearm and shoulder indicated by the “X” graphics. With teeth sharp and drooling, it’s sure to put fear on any competitor they come across.
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Broad Street Barbell | by scriotx
BSB is a CrossFit gym that hosts a Barbell Club to practice Olympic Weightlifting. They wanted to combine the strength of a gorilla with the vintage look of a stamp. This design by scriotx includes a powerful gorilla and a unique font for “Broad Street.” While not something you would see 50 years ago, the tall, thick font give a modern twist to the design. Forming it all in a circle achieves the stamp look. The elements of the grunge background, barbell “x’s”, and EST 2013 are used to complete the vintage image.
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CMMA | by schiena
Nothing demonstrates raw power like crushing something between your bare hands. The Cumberland Mixed Martial Arts gym was open to anything MMA related. The silhouette is minimal, highlighting the muscular structure of the man behind the initials. You can tell the fingers are in the foreground because they are lit up, unlike the body behind. The addition of the cracks to the “CMMA” show stress and pressure that the fighter is bearing down on it. Brought together it creates a logo for what fighters can achieve at their gym.
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Giammanco Racing | by imagine
Exciting, detailed, and sporty were the direction for this motocross race team. They wanted bold lettering with “racing” in a fun script. imagine connected those ideas with a metallic seal that spins out into a checkered flag. Depth is created by the curvature of “Giammanco,” telling the eye that it’s further back in the middle than on the sides. The tribal, interlocking swooshes in the seal add movement to the design. Limiting the color palette to black, white, and orange really make this design pop! These features together form a dynamic, speedy logo.
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glamELLE Fitness | by jasmine
This logo is a great example of contrasting fonts. Black vs White, background vs no background, serif vs san-serifed, size contrast, it’s got everything! The font used for “glam” is classy because of it’s serifs, and feminine because of it’s curves. Opposite is “ELLE,” looking bold, solid, and structured inside the pink spotlight. The silhouette of the girl adds movement to the design by her arms and legs stretching out mid-workout. A great study of how contrasting elements can work together to create a more compelling logo design.
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Golden Gate Judo | by Coolwanz
It’s always great to see a location used in design, in this case San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge. The strongest part of this design is how the bridge and two fighters are all created from brush strokes. It unites the elements together, despite being different colors, and calls back to the brush strokes of early asian writings, from where many martial arts began. It’s easy to see that the blue fighter is flipping the white fighter over his hip. All in all a beautiful logo harking back to its heritage.
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HipFit Personal Training | by jaize
A combination you aren’t likely to find anywhere else, HipFit PT desired a logo that was friendly, the style of a tribal tattoo, and combined a caduceus with a skull. Jaize successfully mixed those elements along with a jester-type mask. By curving the ends of the wings, instead of having sharp tips, the viewer is visually welcomed into them. Next to the icon is a font just as unconventional. Based on a serifed font, but with grunge elements and dots added in. This logo made the list because of it’s uniqueness and originality.
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Mummy & Me Fitness | by shida
The goal for Mummy & Me fitness was to reach out to mothers post pregnancy. With that target audience in mind, they wanted something fun, colorful, and simple. The illustration paints the picture perfectly, a busy mother making time to get in shape with her children. The white highlights inside of the outlines add to the playfulness, keep the illustration from getting too serious. Plus the colors give the impression of being playful, optimistic, and fun.
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Ogre, Inc. | by Coolwanz
What began as an image of a tough-as-nails, hard working father developed into a symbol of powerful maturity. An ogre is tougher, stronger, and pushes through any obstacle. Represented by a Greek Omega and Iota symbol, it now serves as the logo for a corporation, an MMA team, and a brotherhood of high school football players. The stark contrast of the silver and black gives the impress that this symbol has and will stand the test of time. Sharp, solid, and immovable.
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Outlaw Racecars | by PRN123
They wanted it red. They wanted it black. They liked the idea of a skull with a red bandana and black cowboy hat. It was also important that the logo was wrapped in an outline so when it’s cut out from printed vinyl it would stand as one piece. The outline also helps visually tie the text and outlaw together. The illustration of the Outlaw is impressive. Mix that with the curvature of the letters and you have some much welcomed depth.
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Pacific Xpress Club Basketball | by VhienceFX
PXCB was seeking to update their logo to something easier to embroider and screen print. They wanted to maintain the font for “Pacific” from their previous logo. You may see a lot of stylized basketballs around, but this one is truly unique. It’s curves and movement are combined with a highly stylized “X,” creating the movement you would expect from a basketball logo.
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Panthers Football | by font style
A non-profit organization that teaches boys and girls the fundamentals of football. This logo is a perfect example of the modern football logo. 1) it’s on a shield. 2) has a football graphic in the background, creating depth. 3) the name is strong, bold, and unique with a silver shine. 4) it includes a stylized, aggressive version of their mascot. Don’t let the formula fool you though, it’s highly recognizable and very well executed.
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Rocklin FC | by Rick
With a new name, this competitive soccer club wanted a simple and clean crest that wasn’t boring. It needed to include the colors navy and white, and possibly include the year they were established. The thick, powerful font fills the shield with the long name. The stylized soccer ball shows immediate recognition of what it’s for. In particular soccer style the shield is colored in two halves, white and light grey.
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SA Premier Performance Squash | by 3Dlogos
Executive squash training consulting that included one-on-one coaching, clinics, camps, and travel. This logo is full of movement and action: the italicized initials, the dynamic shape of the silhouette, the ball in motion as indicated by the swooshes, and the bright blue and orange combo. A great example of negative space, I love how the silhouette of the squash player touches each letter in the initials, particularly the “S.”
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Shenandoah Crossfit | by theenkpositive
Moving to a new location sparked the idea for a new logo for this CrossFit affiliate! The main emphasis needed to be on the word “CrossFit.” This design avoided all the standard CrossFit images, kettle balls, barbells, etc., and instead features an empowering fist in the “O.” The distressing on “CrossFit” is nicely distributed without taking too much away. The inclusion of the three stars in grey at the top break up the blue from overwhelming the design.
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Tactical Blackout Group | by PRN123
TBG is a gun range facility open to the public that specializes in police and military shooting styles. They wanted a logo that hinted at the Second Amendment, gun rights, freedom, and looked good on black. The icon is recognizably an eagle while including the initials “TB.” It’s sharp points and skew forward give the impression that it’s flying forward. The glares also adds to the movement. Overall a very clean and powerful look.
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Touchdown Nations | by Smith1979
The first online, all-in one American Football platform in Chinese needed an energetic new logo for their launch. Their website features everything American Football related, from product reviews, training videos, Chinese Teams info, and much more. What’s so impressive is the the “TDN” initials were crafted so well into the American Football shape. You can clearly see the “TDN” and the football shape, with help from the threads in the middle.
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Further Inspiration can be found in our Sports Recreation Portfolio.
Remember that you can invite any of these awesome designers to your logo contest!
Which design inspires you the most? Any grab your attention?
Let me know why in the comments below!
©All artwork shown is copyright of their respective owners. ______________________________________________________________________
If you dig this article, check these out:
– 20 Cool Restaurant/Food Logos from 48hourslogo portfolio.
– Read up about one of our designers, imagine.
– Learn about a designer from this list, Smith1979.