Logo of an indoor football team that plays in the Arena League, the San Jose SaberCats. The team played in the original Arena League for its’ entire existence from 1995 until 2008, winning three league titles in that time. That league eventually folded, but the SaberCats were revived in a new version of the AFL starting in 2011.
Logo of a longstanding college football bowl game, the Sun Bowl. Played in El Paso, Texas, the game has existed since 1935, and is the second oldest bowl game (along with the more heralded Orange and Sugar Bowls), second only to the Rose Bowl. Some famous players who’ve won the game’s MVP Award include Jim Kiick, Bert Jones, Cornelius Bennett, Thurman Thomas and Priest Holmes. Like every other bowl game, it has a corporate sponsor, and is now known as the Hyundai Sun Bowl.
Here is a logo of another old college football bowl game, the Tangerine Bowl. Known as the “Little Bowl With The Big Heart”, it was played in Orlando, Florida from 1947 until 1982, when it was renamed the Florida Citrus Bowl, and eventually the Capitol One Bowl, which still exists today. In 1958, the University of Buffalo was invited to play in the game, but the team’s players voted unanimously to skip the game when they were informed their black players would not be welcome to participate. Times changed, however, and in 1966 Morgan State became the first historically black college to play in and win the game.
Not a team logo, but a logo of a defunct college football bowl game from the past – the Peach Bowl. Played in Atlanta, Georgia, the game was an annual fundraiser for the Lions Club, but after interest waned, the game was taken over by the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce. Beginning in 1998, sponsorship of the game was taken over by a local company, Chick-fil-A, and the company took over full naming rights to the contest in 2006. It has since been known as the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
Logo of the Indianapolis Capitols, a member of the Continental Football League from 1968 until 1970. The team made some headlines in their short-lived existence in the league by making a contract offer to O.J. Simpson when his agent was in a stalemate with the Buffalo Bills, and also for being one of the first pro teams to start an African American quarterback when Johnnie Walton became their starter in 1969.
Logo of a major college football program, the Nebraska Cornhuskers. This logo was used from 1962 until 1973, when the ‘Huskers were a member of the Big Eight Conference, and usually battled rival Oklahoma for conference superiority. They currently play in the Big Ten Conference. Nebraska’s program has claimed a total of 5 national championships over the years. The school has had three Heisman Trophy winners – Johnny Rodgers, Mike Rozier and Eric Crouch. Former Cornhuskers who’ve played in the NFL include Hall of Famers Guy Chamberlin and Bob Brown, along with George Sauer, Roger Craig, Neil Smith, Will Shields and Tom Rathman.
Logo of the Ohio Valley Ironmen, a member of the old Continental Football League. The team was based in Wheeling, West Virginia, and played as the Wheeling Ironmen until 1968. They were sort of an “unofficial” farm team for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The franchise lasted all four seasons of the league’s existence, and their most famous alumnus was probably Bob Brown, who later played for the Green Bay Packers.
Logo of the San Diego Chargers pro football team, used from their inaugural year in San Diego, 1961, until 1963. The team won the American Football League championship in that ’63 season with a club that was dominant on both offense and defense, winning the title game with a rousing 51-10 victory over the Boston Patriots. The club’s roster that year was loaded with talent, including the league’s MVP, receiver Lance Alworth. Coached by Hall of Famer Sid Gillman, they also had some other top players of the day in the AFL – John Hadl, Paul Lowe, Keith Lincoln, Earl Faison, Ernie Ladd and Ron Mix.
Logo of the Virginia Tech Hokies, a major college football team, used from 1966 until 1971. The team has played in the Atlantic Coast Conference since 2004,and were members of the Big East prior to that. The Hokies currently have the second longest streak in the nation for bowl game appearances, having played in a post-season bowl every year since 1993. Tech players who’ve gone on to NFL careers include Bruce Smith, Don Strock, Antonio Freeman and current players Michael Vick, DeAngelo Hall, Kam Chancellor and Eddie Royal.
Logo of a top college football program, the Georgia Bulldogs, first used in 1964. Georgia’s program has been in existence since 1894, and they’ve won five national championships. Two Bulldogs – Frank Sinkwich and Herschel Walker, won the coveted Heisman Trophy. Countless Georgia players have gone on to play in the NFL, including Walker, Charley Trippi, Fran Tarkenton, Jake Scott, Terrell Davis, Richard Seymour and Hines Ward.