When any Lions athletic team steps on their respective court, pitch, course, track or field, they all have a common patch on their uniforms. It is an “S” that represents the Shoals area.

In the fall of 2011 Athletic Director Mark Linder wanted to show the community surrounding the university his appreciation for all of their support, he said. 

“It’s not just Florence who supports us,” Linder said.  “It’s Sheffield, Muscle Shoals, Tuscumbia and many other communities that make UNA what it is.”

The logo features a “S” that stands for “Shoals” and was designed by someone that lives in the Shoals, Linder said.

The “S” is white, with the outline being red.

“The white “S” is supposed to represent the (Tennessee) river that connects the Shoals together,” he said.

The red is meant to contrast with UNA’s purple and gold uniforms, Linder said.

“We chose the color red to represent the Shoals patch,” said Jeff Hodges, UNA sports information director. “Red signifies passion and is the life source and unifying power of the area.”

The Shoals area is popular across not only Alabama, but the United States, said Yogi Batra, an international student.

“It seems like every time I go to another part of Alabama, and I tell people I go to UNA, they all say, ‘oh you’re up in the Shoals area’,” he said.

The patch is used to represent how much the university and its athletic teams appreciate the support the Shoals area shows UNA, Linder said.

“It’s a great conversation piece for those who attend a UNA athletic event and wonder what the patch indicates,” he said. “It’s another way for us to personally speak out about how proud we are of the Shoals and what all it has to offer.”

The way people love the Shoals area is obvious to those who have spent any amount of time in the area, said men’s basketball point guard Devin McNeil.

“I just transferred here from Samford (University),” McNeil said.  “It’s like people up here love this area, and that’s really cool.”

The athletic department at UNA felt as if it was a way of giving back to the Shoals area that supports all of the Lions athletic squads, Linder said.

“If it wasn’t for the Shoals area, we would not be as successful as we are from an athletic standpoint,” Linder said.

The athletic department made their apprecwiation known more than words could describe, he said.

“It was more than just being vocal about our appreciation, it was putting it into action,” Linder said.