Did UNC Charlotte Copy UTEP with Pickaxe Logo?

UTEP fans will not be happy about this. Today, the University of Charlotte relaunched their brand identity and athletics logo to include a pickaxe. Charlotte athletics even dropped a 10-minute YouTube video today with various 49ers athletic administrators and coaches talking about their new look, along with a new site.

Yes, the pick that comes out of the "C" mark very closely resembles the same type that UTEP has incorporated for years in their logo various designs. The University of Charlotte states on their academic website that the 49ers nickname is a tribute to the gold rush in the area. 1949 was also the year the school broke away from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where it had served as an off-campus center and became Charlotte College. Here are a few other variations of their new look.

If you look closely at the football helmet, it appears that the only difference between the UTEP and Charlotte pickaxes is that UNCC flipped their pick on its side. Although there is a little more detail in the UTEP pickaxe.

Then again, UTEP does not have a copyright for other schools to use picks in their logos. The fact that the 49ers play in the same conference as the Miners makes this story even more interesting. UTEP and Charlotte have had zero rivalry as conference members since the 49ers first came into C-USA in 2013. That could change heading into the fall athletic season.