Best Vintage Tennessee High School Logos

Tennessee is known for its deep musical roots, from country and blues to rock 'n' roll, in legendary cities like Nashville and Memphis. While the state’s professional teams—the Tennessee Titans, Memphis Grizzlies, and Nashville Predators—don’t directly reflect this heritage, Tennessee’s best vintage high school logos have their own appeal. These high school brands aren’t built on state history but separate themselves with their logo designs and nicknames.

Top Five

Tennessee's top five vintage logos include a combination of mascots and emblem designs that are rarely seen nationwide. Two top picks highlight purple-colored mascots, while the other three use classic, circle-styled emblems, completing the list as the best in the state.

• Chattanooga Central High School Purple Pounders (Harrison, TN)
• • Description: The Chattanooga Central High School Purple Pounders logo shows an arm gripping a hammer shaped like a "C" for Central, adding a creative touch to the Pounders’ design.
  • Opinion: Chattanooga Central High School, the only high school in the country with the nickname 'Purple Pounders,' stands out with its logo featuring an arm holding a hammer that cleverly forms the shape of a 'C.'

• Christian Brothers High School Purple Wave (Memphis, TN)
• • Description: Christian Brothers High School’s mascot is a purple wave with a human face, wearing sunglasses and flexing its muscles to add intimidation.
  • Opinion: The Purple Wave mascot, known as Wavey, brings a cool vibe with its facial expression and shades, making it the face of Christian Brothers High School and its slogan, 'All Hail the Purple Wave.'

• Elizabethton High School Fighting Cyclones (Elizabethton, TN)
• • Description: Elizabethton High School's logo depicts a muscular cyclone with human features, dressed in an orange sweater marked with an "E," standing in a fighting stance at the center of a circular emblem.
  • Opinion: Though 'Cyclones' may not be the most original name, Elizabethton gives it a fresh twist with an incredible old-school logo showing a cyclone in an orange 'E' sweater, capturing all the qualities of a top vintage design.

• Raleigh-Egypt High School Pharaohs (Memphis, TN)
• • Description: The Memphis-based Raleigh-Egypt High School embraces an Egyptian theme with a logo and mascot showcasing a Pharaoh, with a Pharaoh's head at the center of the emblem and two small pyramids on each side.
  • Opinion: Raleigh-Egypt High School's mascot, a classic pharaoh character, is meaningful due to its connection with ancient Egypt, where the Pharaoh symbolizes power, leadership, and a deep historical legacy.

• The Webb School Feet (Bell Buckle, TN)
• • Description: The Webb School "The Feet," is represented by a logo of a yellow Converse-style shoe with a foot peeking through the front, making it one of the country's most distinctive high school brands.
  • Opinion: The Webb School has an unusual nickname, the 'Feet,' with a shoe logo split open by a foot bursting through the front, making it one of America's most unique high school brands.

Honorable Mentions

A few high school logos in Tennessee missed the top five list. All three honorable mentions have their spirit of fight and hustle in common, each carrying a nickname that begins with either 'Fighting' or 'Hustlin.'

• Cocke County High School Fighting Cocks (Newport, TN)

• Houston County High School Fighting Irish (Erin, TN)

• The Howard School Hustlin’ Tigers (Chattanooga, TN)