Even though it’s not even 24 hours since the season ended, the New Orleans Hornets have left the building and the New Orleans Pelicans have taken up residence.

hornets.com and nba.com/hornets now both point to nba.com/pelicans, along with pelicans.com, of course.

Here is the team’s press release:

Following last night’s final game of the 2012-13 season, the New Orleans Hornets officially took on the team’s new identity as the New Orleans Pelicans. The team will participate in its first NBA event as the Pelicans on May 21 at the 2013 NBA Draft Lottery.

The Pelicans launched their new website today, www.pelicans.com, as well as introducing a new presence in social media on Twitter (@pelicansnba), Facebook (Facebook.com/pelicansnba) and Instagram (@pelicansnba).

As the Pelicans introduce their new mascot, new uniforms and a new name and look for the dance team, fans will have the opportunity to be a part of the process and should stay tuned for more information on www.pelicans.com. Official Pelicans merchandise is also available on the team’s site.

“We have been looking forward to this day since we announced the Pelicans as the new name,” said Owner Tom Benson. “The Pelican is a symbol for our city and region and we’re excited to start a new era in Louisiana basketball history. This off-season is going to be a special time for the Pelicans.”

Benson announced on Jan. 24 that at the conclusion of the 2012-13 season, the name of the team will become the Pelicans, adopting an identity that will represent the culture and resolve of the Gulf Coast region while also symbolizing Louisiana’s most pressing initiative of coastal restoration and wildlife conservation. Benson introduced the team’s new logos, as well as color scheme, during the announcement.

The Pelicans’ colors are blue, gold and red. The team’s primary color, blue, is taken from Louisiana’s state flag. The Pelicans and Saints share the color gold, uniting the organizations, while celebrating the spirited life of New Orleans and its many celebrations (gold is also a commonly found color on the “crown” of the pelican). Red represents fraternity and is indicative of the blood provision of the mother pelican and the vibrant color underneath the pelican’s throat. All three colors are found on the flag of the City of New Orleans.

 

More information about the Pelicans’ logos and brand can be found HERE.

They wasted no time in getting started with this, and the changes were more and more visible as night turned to day turned to night. nba.com has updated the list of teams to New Orleans Pelicans, as well. There are a few remnants for them to clean up, but the degree of change to be done in the manner it was is pretty impressive. An example of an internal straggler is the E-newsletter page (the email address), and an external example, which they have less control over, is the Season Ticket Holder Account Manager site (the URL).

The team will be holding a Town Hall conference call on Tuesday, April 30th at 6:00 p.m. CDT (UTC -5) with Season Ticket Holders to tell them about the future of the franchise. Stay tuned.

They will also have a season-ending press conference Monday, April 22 at 11:00 a.m. CDT (UTC -5) with Mickey Loomis, Monty Williams, and Dell Demps.

Also, the team has lowered some ticket prices even further. There are now “Value” seats in The Balcony that are discounted by roughly 60% from the comparable balcony seats. These seats are, of course, the seats in higher row numbers, and the starting row is 7 to 15, depending. These go for just under $5 (end), just under $7 (corner), and just under $10 (side) per game. Benson is putting his money where is mouth is in trying to pack the Arena. Good job. I continue to be impressed by Benson’s team, led by Dennis Lauscha.

With the practice facility on track for preseason and Arena renovations on track, at least, the Pelicans still have many little things to do, but the only major off-the-court piece of the puzzle is Naming Rights for the New Orleans Arena.

Enjoy, New Orleans (and Pelicans nation!) . . . you earned this.

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