EKU students question $32,500 contract for new Colonel logo

Eastern Kentucky University students are questioning a $32,500 contract for a new Colonel logo, according to a WKYT report published October 7, 2026. The university has said it hired a Texas design firm to create the new branding, but some students say the price is hard to justify and that the funds could have been directed to other university priorities.

WKYT reported that the concerns focus on the cost and the timing of the change to the long-standing Colonel branding. Students who spoke with the outlet questioned whether the contract amount represents value for money, given ongoing pressures at public colleges and universities, including budget constraints and competing campus needs.

The report described the contract as a specific line-item expense tied to logo development, with the university paying $32,500 to the Texas design firm for the work. The students’ comments centered on whether logo-related spending should be treated as an urgent or essential use of institutional funds.

The university’s selection of a design vendor and the contract’s value put the decision into public view, prompting students to ask for greater transparency about why the change was necessary and how it fits into the school’s broader spending plans. In particular, students said they wanted clearer explanation of what outcomes the university expects from the logo update beyond the visual redesign itself.

University contracting choices, including payments to external design vendors, typically become points of scrutiny when students believe they reflect discretionary spending rather than core academic or student support costs. While branding changes can be tied to marketing, recruitment, and institutional identity, student critics argued that the funds could have been used for other campus priorities.

WKYT’s reporting said some students believe the logo contract should be reviewed in light of the university’s needs and how the money will be used. The public accountability questions raised in the coverage highlight a broader issue at colleges statewide: how universities communicate spending decisions and what level of explanation students receive for vendor contracts.

As the questions circulate on campus, the immediate next step will likely involve EKU providing additional information about the contract’s scope, what deliverables were included in the $32,500 price, and how the administration weighs branding efforts against other expenditures. Additional responses from the university could also clarify whether there are internal processes for justifying such costs to students before work begins or upon completion.