Above: Girls Lacrosse is one of the Algonquin teams that has already ditched the Tomahawks brand and now sport Titans on their uniforms. Other teams will be joining them sooner than originally scheduled. (images cropped from 2022 and 2023 photos by Owen Jones Photography)
When the Regional School Committee voted to “retire” Algonquin’s old mascot symbol, they approved a phased, multi-year approach. Under the plan, team uniforms would be rebranded when they were replaced based on the regular, rotating 4-6 year schedule. That could have taken until spring of 2028.
Thanks to a grant, that schedule will be accelerated.
On Friday, the Superintendent announced “nearly all Algonquin teams will have a unified athletic brand in less than a year.”
Although the school officially adopted the Titans as its mascot in February 2022, many teams still display the name and/or Tomahawks symbols on their uniforms. Now the schools have $50,000 from BSN Sports and Victory Line Uniforms to spend on rebranding uniforms. (Scroll down for more on that donation.)
I reached out to Algonquin’s Athletic Director Mike Mocerino for more details on the new timeline. He answered that about 70-75% of the uniforms still display the old logo or name. He projects that “most, if not all, varsity and JV uniforms will be converted by June 2024.”
Since I noticed that some uniforms (like Girls Soccer’s) haven’t appeared to include either the old or new logo in recent years, I asked if the teams would be required to include Titans on the new uniforms. The answer was that teams have the ability to make selections during the design process. They can choose whether to include Algonquin, Titans, or both. (He noted that most teams prefer to include both the school and mascot.)
Below are more details on the donation from the message issued by Superintendent Gregory Martineau in Friday’s weekly NSBORO update:
Amazing News! At a recent Northborough-Southborough Regional School Committee meeting, the Committee accepted a $50,000 donation from BSN Sports. BSN Sports, the nation’s largest direct marketer and distributor of sporting goods to the school and league markets, named Algonquin Regional High School as the recipient of its Ultimate Victory Uniform Makeover.
From February 1, 2023, through March 10, 2023, over 4,800 coaches from high schools across the country shared why their school deserved a Victory Uniform Makeover. Algonquin shared within their entry that the community is in its first year of changing the school’s mascot from the Tomahawks to the Titans. A significant aspect of completing the mascot change is the additional cost of replacing the school’s athletic uniforms with the updated Titans branding and logo. Given the budget needs, the full Algonquin mascot transition could have taken anywhere from five to seven years based on the program’s planned funding. However, through the Ultimate Victory Uniform Makeover, nearly all Algonquin teams will have a unified athletic brand in less than a year.
“Getting to participate in high school athletics is a special opportunity for our youth, and we want to continue to elevate the student-athlete experience as best we can,” said Terry Babilla, President of BSN SPORTS. “New uniforms are integral to the mascot transition process. They unify athletic programs by helping get student-athletes excited about their new mascot and building pride in representing their school community. We look forward to supporting Algonquin’s student-athletes by providing them with fully customized, cohesive, high-quality uniforms so they can officially compete as the Titans for the first time.”
The dedicated local BSN SPORTS sales team will work with Algonquin to custom design new uniforms within the approved Boys’ and Girls’ J.V. and Varsity sports to support the program’s rebranding.
“Receiving new uniforms is a major step for our school in completing the rebranding process,” said Mike Mocerino, Algonquin Regional High School Athletic Director. “BSN SPORTS is helping us accelerate the overall transition to the Titans and reduce added costs along the way. This unique opportunity will unite our student-athletes and boost their confidence, along with our school’s reputation. We can’t wait for our teams to represent Algonquin in their one-of-a-kind BSN SPORTS Victory Line Uniforms this fall and spring.”
Congratulations ARHS.
Updated (5/24/23 1:39 pm): BSN provided more information today, which included a clarification of what Algonquin won:
As the selected winner, Algonquin’s athletic program will be awarded free, custom uniforms through BSN SPORTS’ proprietary Victory Line for the school’s J.V. and Varsity teams to begin wearing in the 2023-24 season, with a product value of up to $50,000. Algonquin will additionally receive a uniform reveal package to amplify excitement around their new gear with students, staff and the community.
