As with any sports team that has been around for years, the St. Bonaventure University basketball program has featured a number of different logos and uniform styles over the decades. Follow below as we take a look at the evolution of Bonnies styles over the past century, from the simple "B" on the 1919 uniforms to the introductions of the new styles seen today.
Centennial Season Logo
In anticipation for the anniversary, special commemorative logos have been created for use throughout the year. The logos were created by St. Bonaventure alumnus and Olean native Derek Howard in conjunction with the Athletics Department. The 100th Anniversary Season logo celebrates not only the history of the basketball program, but of its deep bond with the University community. Included in the logo are the iconic University bell tower outside Doyle Chapel as well as a St. Bonaventure font reminicient of that used on some of the program's most well-known uniforms during the 1970s. It includes a nod to the first team with an "Est. 1919" at the bottom.
Jersey Lettering
Below are some of the most iconic - and fan favorite - jersey lettering styles from the past century. Share your favorite on social media using the hashtag #Bonnies100! (Zoom out to see entire table on mobile)
Logos Through The Years
St. Bonaventure was represented by the Brown Indians, sporting the colors Brown and White, starting in the fall of 1927. The Seneca Nation, which is located close to the university in Salamanca, N.Y., found the title to be very prideful. In 1992, the University — working proactively to seek the input of neighboring Seneca officials — dropped the Brown Indians name and officially adopted the Bonnies for all sports. Fourteen years later, the NCAA adopted a unilateral policy for its member organizations banning “hostile and abusive” mascots, nicknames or imagery at NCAA championships.
The first student to take on a cheerleading role of the Brown Indian was in 1961, and then accompanied by the Brown Squaw, which was created in 1967.
Throughout the years, though, the name "Bonnies" was also commonly used to refer to St. Bonaventure teams. In fact, the official NCAA Final Four program in 1970 lists the team name as "Brown Indians; Bonnies." In 1992, the University officially dropped the Brown Indians name and officially adopted the Bonnies for all sports. After a redesigned 'B' logo became the official mark in the mid-90s, the current Bona Wolf design took over in 1998 due to the wolf's connection to Franciscan tradition.
Jerseys Through The Years
The very first jersey worn by a St. Bonaventure intercollegiate team during the 1919-20 season. World War I and lack of a proper home court stalled early attempts at an intercollegiate team, but the completion of Butler Gymnasium allowed the St. Bonaventure College dream of an intercollegiate varsity basketball team to become a reality in 1919. St. Bonaventure played its first game on Dec. 11, 1919; winning over an alumni squad, 29-19. Under coach Richard Phelan, St. Bona went 6-10 in its first season.
During the 1923-24 season, the upstart Bona basketball program donned a look unlike any other in Bonnies history - a jersey with the primary B logo in the middle along with smaller B logos on each side. It was a one-of-a-kind jersey and it came as part of a 7-4 season under coach Glenn Carberry. Bona was in the midst of 10 straight winning seasons that spanned 1921-1931.
During the 1930s, the Bona basketball program went away from the plain 'B' that adorned the jerseys throughout the first decade of play. The new look saw players wearing the "St. Bonas" for the first time with white trim on the brown jersey. During this time, Mike Reilly took over leadership of the program and between 1928-43, Reilly led his Bona squads to a 133-75 record. Also a coach of the football program, Reilly Center is named in his honor today.
The 1948-49 squad set the table for the postseason glory that was to come, finishing 18-8 under head coach Ed Melvin. That team also wore one of the most unique uniforms in program history - while the number-only look on the front chest would remain in following seasons, the '48-49 team had white stripes down the sides of their jerseys. Ken Murray's No. 13 today is retired.
This simple look with numbers only on the front was how St. Bonaventure first entered the national rankings. In 1950-51, St. Bonaventure had its first national Top 25 ranking (No. 17 on Jan. 16, 1951) and reached the NIT for the first time with a 19-6 record under Ed Melvin. The team sported a similar look the following year when it reached No. 4 in the national rankings, again reaching the NIT in 1951-52 with a 21-6 record, to that point a program record for victories.
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In the late 1950s, Bona basketball was becoming a powerhouse under new coach Eddie Donovan. After four seasons around the .500 mark, Donovan's squads turned the corner in 1956-57 with a 17-7 record and returned to the NIT. That began a run of four straight NIT seasons, including three consecutive 20-win campaigns. During that time, the Bonnies sported a look similar to the one above including the iconic No. 22 of Sam Stith who starred from 1957-60. In 1959-60, Sam averaged 20.5 points per game while brother Tom posted over 31 points per contest. That set the stage for a program first as a new decade dawned in 1960. Below, the '58-59 team which finished 20-3.
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Bona's dominant teams of the 50's helped put the program on the map nationally, but it would be the 1960-61 edition that took Bonaventure basketball to the next level. The jersey above was one that the team would have worn when it reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 1961, defeating Rhode Island in the first round before dropping a hard-fought second round game to Wake Forest. Bona finished the year 24-4, setting a program record for wins in the process. The No. 42 represents the legendary Tom Stith who would top 2,000 career points during his senior season. A young sophomore named Fred Crawford stole the show in the NCAA Tournament, posting 34 points and 16 rebounds in the first round win over URI. The program kept a similar look in following years, including when Crawford in his No. 54 led the Bonnies back to the NIT under new coach Larry Weise with a 16-8 record in 1964.
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The Bonnies returned to the NCAA Tournament in 1968 when Weise's group put together an outstanding 23-2 campaign, rising as high as No. 3 in the national polls including 11 straight weeks inside the top 10. That year, the team donned a different "St. Bona" typeface that would remain primarily unchanged for several years, again also using a gold trim as seen here with the road brown jersey. Bill Butler's No. 14 would later be retired, but he and a young Bob Lanier each poured in over 30 points (Butler 34, Lanier 32) in a first round win over Boston College.
When many people think of St. Bonaventure basketball, it is the 1969-70 jersey that comes to mind - and for good reason. The Bob Lanier-led Bonnies employed this brown, white and gold look through a dream season that led to the program's only Final Four appearance. When the calendar turned to 1970, Bona jumped to No. 5 in the national polls and never fell out of the top five the rest of the season, again climbing to No. 3. Wins over Davidson, N.C. State and Villanova captured the nation's attention, but left Bona fans with unfinished dreams following an injury to Lanier. Still, the 1969-70 team gave a generation of Bonnies fans a season that will never be forgotten. A season later, following Lanier's move to the NBA, SBU used a similar style jersey to return to the NIT with another 20-win season when once again Bona rose to No. 10 in the national rankings. Ultimately, the Bonnies finished at 21-6 in 1970-71 including NIT wins over Purdue and Hawaii.
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In the mid-1970s the Bonnies began spelling out St. Bonaventure with a new look - and another that would become iconic thanks to more memorable teams. With a look like the one above - the brown, white and gold road jersey of the mid-to-late 70s - the Bonnies would go 24-6 under coach Jim Satalin in 1976-77 and capture the NIT Championship in Madison Square Garden (where the Bonnies wore the above jersey). This jersey closed out the golden era of Bona hoops - along with the NIT title, the team returned to the NCAA Tournament with a 21-8 season in 1977-78 and went back to the NIT with a 19-9 year in 1978-79. Essie Hollis (whose No. 25 is retired), Greg Sanders (retired with No. 53), Jim Baron, Tim Waterman, Glenn Hagan - these were just some of the names that echo in Bonnies lore from these tremendous late 70s teams.
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When the Bonnies would return to the national postseason, they would do so with a jersey that was a solid representative of the decade. For the only time in program history, SBU employed a jersey with a cursive script during the early 80s and this special Bonnies look saw a berth in the NIT during the 1982-83 campaign. First-year coach Jim O'Brien led the Bonnies to 20 wins and a 10-4 mark in the Atlantic 10. Bona bowed out to Iona in the NIT, but a group led by Mark Jones (wearing No. 11) stood out for the program during the 80s.
For a time during the 90s, the Bonnies switched to a fully spelled out "Saint" Bonaventure on their uniforms and it was this look that saw SBU return to basketball glory. Now with a hero of the 70s power teams at the helm in head coach Jim Baron, Bona returned to the national postseason in 1995 with a trip to the NIT. A packed Reilly Center was rocking on March 16, 1995 when the Bonnies started strong and held off a late charge from Southern Miss for a 75-70 win. The No. 44 of David Vanterpool helped lead the resurgence and 24 points from Nii Nelson-Richards in the NIT game led to victory. Shandue McNeill was also an All-Atlantic 10 performer in '95. SBU ultimately finished the year 18-13 with its most wins since the 1983-84 season and the path to program rebirth was clearly built.
Bona's teams of the 90s started sporting Vegas Gold for the first time and that appears on a side stripe in the 1998 jersey which also went back to the traditional "St. Bonaventure" on the chest. The 1997-98 team also saw another NIT campaign under Baron, winning 17 games. The No. 5 here is representative of Rashaan Palmer who was a three-time All-Atlantic 10 selection. Tim Winn, Caswell Cyrus and Peter Van Paassen were among the fan favorites that closed the 90s while the Bonnies returned to prominence in the A-10.
The "Saint" returned for the 1999-2000 season jerseys, but something much more important returned that year - a run to the NCAA Tournament. For the first time since 1978, the Bonnies went to the NCAA Tournament as an at-large selection, and when they played their memorable double overtime game vs. Cleveland, they wore these road jerseys. Winn (No. 11) and Cyrus were All-Atlantic 10 performers, Van Paasen, J.R. Bremer, Patricio Prato and David Messiah Capers and more gave Bona depth it had not seen in years. Baron's squad solidified the program's place as finally being "back" following 21 wins including an 11-5 mark in conference.
Bona's bid to be Cinderella in the 2000 NCAA Tournament came up just short, but there would be no hangover for the Bonnies the following year. "St. Bonaventure" was back across the chest and the No. 2 worn by Bremer was hard to stop as he became one of the A-10's most prolific players. The 2000-01 team would advance to the NIT with 18 wins as Bremer paired with transfer Kevin Houston as All-A-10 picks.
A redesigned "St. Bona" wordmark adorned the 2001-02 jersey, both road and home, but one thing that did not change was the program's success. For the third straight year, the Bonnies reached the national postseason with their second consecutive NIT bid. The No. 4 of Marques Green was tough for any defense to stop as he became one of the top players in recent program history. The Bonnies wore this uniform in their NIT game, a hard-fought battle that came up short at Syracuse following a 17-win campaign.
Years of struggle were washed away when the Bonnies celebrated in Atlantic City - wearing this jersey - celebrating their Atlantic 10 Championship in 2012. The No. 44 of Andrew Nicholson was another generational player, this time helping to put the Bonnies back on the basketball map under head coach Mark Schmidt. The Bonnies won 20 games on the way to the A-10 title, returning to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 12 years. Like the team, the jersey was truly unique within program history, though the striping on the sides almost looks like a callback to the 1949 uniform.
The 2015-16 season was a magical one as the Bonnies captured a share of the regular season Atlantic 10 championship, winning 22 games and setting a program record with a 14-4 record in the A-10. While most fans agree the Bonnies put together an NCAA-worthy resume, the team did earn the No. 1 overall seed in that year's NIT with a captivating No. 10 at point guard in Jaylen Adams along with fellow All-A-10 selection Marcus Posley and do-it-all Dion Wright.
The bubble anguish of two years prior was erased when the Bonnies earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament in 2018. Sporting this look, the Bonnies went to the First Four in Dayton and gave their fans a forever moment. Though the legendary 1970 team never had the opportunity to face UCLA at full strength, the Bonnies finally got their chance nearly 50 years later and made good with a thrilling win over the Bruins. The senior class of Adams, Matt Mobley and Idris Taqqee set the program record for wins as a graduating class - including a season record of 26 wins that year - but it was No. 11 Courtney Stockard who captivated the nation with his unforgettable performance in the win, giving the Bonnies their first NCAA Tournament triumph since 1970 with a win coach Mark Schmidt dedicated to Lanier and his 1970 squad.
Special thanks to Derek Howard for jersey artwork and Dennis Frank of University Archives for archival photos.
