The department of athletics unveiled new branding on a bus used to transport athletes to events and away games.

The 54-seater VanHool coach bus, which is wrapped in a design incorporating “Saint Joseph’s University Hawks” branding, was acquired through a new expanded contractual agreement with Academy Bus, a charter bus company based in New Jersey, said Rob Sullivan ’06, senior associate athletics director for external affairs.

Sullivan said over the summer the athletics department, through its sports marketing wing Van Wagner Sports and Entertainment, negotiated a new expanded contractual agreement with Academy Bus which included a branded wrap for the bus.

“We’ve seen many other programs in the collegiate landscape and professional sports that have wrapped buses for branding and [the buses] really showcase and represent the investment into the programs,” Sullivan said.

The wrap was an internal university effort, from the planning by athletics to the design by the department of marketing and communications, Sullivan said.

“Within athletics we are extremely proud of the wrapped bus and we want other campus partners and internal and external folks to be proud of it as well,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan said that the bus’ first journey was to Lehigh University, carrying the cross country team to the Lehigh Paul Short Run.

Senior cross country runner Zach Michon said he liked the new bus, which he thought was overdue. He said he noticed many times that other schools would have branded buses.

“I would always wonder why we would always come with a brand bus, an Academy Bus or something,” Michon said. “But having an SJU athletics wrap on our bus means a lot to a lot of athletes.”

Sullivan said he and Jill Bodensteiner, J.D., director of athletics, have talked about using the bus for more than just athletics.

“We are more than willing to continue the conversation and keep the dialogue fluid to really maximize the branding component of that wrapped bus,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan felt that the positive response of the bus by student athletes makes the department want to be held to a higher standard.

Michon echoed the same thoughts that the bus is a welcome addition to the athletic department.

“[The bus] adds a little bit of legitimacy to the SJU athletics program” Michon said.

Sullivan said the bus is a bold statement which highlights the new direction of the athletic department.

“There’s many more opportunities, resources and amenities that we can provide to enhance, upgrade and maximize the student athlete experience and the bus is one of those items,” Sullivan said.

Lynn Farquhar, head coach of the field hockey team, said the bus shows the university’s commitment to athletics and desire to widen athletic’s visibility.

“For our own student athletes, it’s exciting to step on as [a] Hawk; [the bus] resembles pride and that is powerful,” Farquhar said in a e-mailed statement to The Hawk.

Matt DeLeo ’20 contributed to this article.