Andalusia High School is working to develop a new logo after representatives of the University of Arizona challenged its use of the Arizona ‘A’.

Superintendent of Schools Ted Watson released the following statement for the system on Tuesday:

“Andalusia City School administrators recently received notification from attorneys representing the University of Arizona considering the use of the Arizona logo. As a result of that correspondence, a trademark attorney was consulted to determine if in fact, the Andalusia logo violated the University of Arizona’s trademark. It was determined that the designs were indeed too similar. Because of the objection of the University of Arizona, Andalusia High School will therefore need to modify and or alter its present logo. School officials are working with the board’s attorney and with representatives from the University of Arizona so that a new logo can be phased in to replace the existing one.”

Andalusia adopted the use of a the modified Arizona logo in 2015.

“We thought we were modifying the logo by putting ‘Dogs in there,” Watson said Tuesday. “But that was not enough.”

The school also changed the colors used in the logo.

The school will have time to modify its logo, he said, and will not immediately be required to remove all uses on the school campus.

“They have graciously allowed us time to make a change,” Watson said. “They are working with us to phase this out over time.”

Watson said the “cease and desist” is between the school system and the University of Arizona, not between the University and local businesses.

“I know that business people in town are concerned with product they have on the shelf,” he said. Watson said a number of schools across the United States have dealt with the issue, even though high schools have altered college and NFL logos for their own use for decades.

“I know Elba has dealt with this recently, and so has Spanish Fort,” Watson said. “They are mainly concerned with online sales, and we don’t have any of those. Hibbett’s carries a line with Andalusia’s logo, but we don’t get anything for it.”

In some places, the issue has been resolved when a high school paid the college whose logo it had adopted a fee for short-term use of the logo while it changed logos in prominent places like gymnasium floors.

When Andalusia school board members were informed of the potential issue last week, AHS head football coach Trent Taylor told them he and AHS principal Dr. Daniel Shakespeare have already talked about ways to modify the logo.

Watson said work continues, and fans can expect an official unveiling of the new logo in the near future.