Jan. 30, 2008 -- Arkansas State University’s Mascot Selection Steering Committee today voted unanimously to recommend to Chancellor Robert L. Potts that "Wolves" be adopted as the new mascot for ASU athletic teams, with leeway for him to develop detailed aspects of the new mascot, including use of color as part of the name should it be deemed appropriate.

The decision came at the end of a two-hour meeting during which the committee discussed the various mascot options and associated issues that might arise with each choice.

The motion to recommend ‘Wolves" was discussed thoroughly before the vote. While some committee members expressed preference for "Red Wolves," Bill Stanley of Jonesboro, who voiced the motion to recommend "Wolves," said he preferred to give the chancellor and the creative team as much latitude as possible with implementation.

Potts responded that the process has been very complex and that he would appreciate this latitude in the final stages of development while he consults with the creative design team and various university constituencies.

Jim Pickens of Little Rock, an emeritus member of the Board of Trustees who served as committee chair, praised the committee members for their work and thanked the public for its input and involvement throughout the long process.

"Each member of the committee was honored by the confidence shown by Chancellor Potts, and we appreciate the resources the university provided us," he commented. "I felt throughout the process that all constituency groups had an opportunity for input. The process was open and transparent throughout. Everyone should have pride in what was finally developed as a new product for Arkansas State University, because they were a part of the process."

Earlier in the meeting, Jamie Skiles, principal and creative director of Phoenix Design Works, presented for committee review additional images portraying the three dominant themes that the committee had chosen at its Jan. 4 meeting. He emphasized that those images are preliminary creations that were drawn to give the committee an idea of how various themes might be represented.

Skiles updated the committee on his creative thought process and the additional work he has done since the last meeting, including a review last night of the university’s history as represented through its entire yearbook collection. He noted the importance of selecting a theme that will work well for recruiting, marketing, merchandising and other important aspects for many years to come.

The discussion centered on Wolves and the various "train" or "express" themes that also had been considered. The various concepts associated with "Ridge," such as Ridge Runners or Ridge Raiders, were voted out of further consideration early in the meeting.

The committee’s charge was to make a recommendation to the Chancellor and administration. Now that a mascot has been recommended, Dr. Potts will work with the creative design team to further develop the recommendation.