Indianapolis Indians Unveil $500,000 Brand Revamp at Victory Field

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indianapolis Indians revealed a complete brand overhaul Friday night at Victory Field, with new logos, uniforms, and signage costing over $500,000. This is the franchise’s first major rebranding in 32 years, moving away from logos inspired by Southwestern Native American designs to modern depictions featuring the letters ‘I,’ ‘Indy,’ and ‘Indpls,’ along with the team’s founding year, 1902.

“This is the first time we have really redone our marks since 1993, which, in sports, that’s probably an eternity not to do it,” said Indians chairman Bruce Schumacher. He shared insights with IndyStar about the thought process behind the update. “We felt it was time.”

The idea for the brand refresh began in February 2023 after a year-long study regarding the team name. The Indians collaborated with the Miami Nation of Indians of Indiana, which led to creating educational opportunities about Native American history and a scholarship program. Schumacher mentioned, “It just made sense to get the situation squared away with the name and move on from that.”

The Indians will celebrate their 30th year at Victory Field next season, which opened on July 11, 1996, promoting their new look under the motto, “Indy Indians: New Look, Same Team.” Schumacher acknowledged that the previous logos created in 1993 by a local artist no longer resonate with the team’s identity.

“What he did was he used a Southwestern Native American design at the time. Now we came to find out that, obviously, we’re not the Southwestern part of the country,” Schumacher explained.

The announcement was made during an end-of-season fundraiser benefiting the team’s Indianapolis Indians Charities, which focuses on youth sports, education, and neighborhood improvement. Celebrities including Razor Shines and former MVP Dallas Williams showcased the new jerseys and caps.

The new logos were created in-house by Adam Pintar, the Indians’ senior director of brand, marketing, and communications, following extensive feedback from staff and community members. “We had lots of people look at it. We had gallery sessions. We took lots of input,” Schumacher stated.

Schumacher noted that the Miami Nation approved the designs, affirming collaboration with them was crucial. Merchandise featuring the new branding was sold immediately at Victory Field during the fundraiser.

“If you can imagine, every place that an Indianapolis Indians logo exists now – in the ballpark or in our printed materials – that’s all getting changed out. It’s an enormous project,” he said. The cost of the revamp, described as surpassing $500,000, reflects the extensive adjustments required.

“It’s a serious undertaking,” Schumacher added. “Whatever we thought it would cost at the start, it continues to cost more.” He believes the investment is worthwhile. “We’re trying to do a little better job telling our history than maybe we’ve done in the past,” he said.