Great Plains Athletic Conference Unveils New Logo
Story by GPAC Conference Office
SOUIX CITY, Iowa - The Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) has unveiled a new logo that will be implemented for the 2015-16 academic year. GPAC Commissioner Corey Westra announced the new logo that will be phased in over the summer and throughout the next year in the GPAC at its member schools.
Recently completing its 15th year as an affiliated conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) this is the first logo change for the GPAC after 15 years of conference operations. The original logo was implemented when the conference began in 2000 and was designed by former Commissioner Paul Cark.
"As we turn the page to year 16 of the GPAC, and add a new member, the time was right for a new logo and branding change in the GPAC. However, we are not losing many of the facets of the original logo which was created 15 years ago," said Commissioner Corey Westra. "Our first logo served us very well as a conference as the letters GPAC have become our identity as a league. I want to thank Paul Clark for getting this conference off to a great start in 2000 and we hope to continue to carry out the strong tradition of Academic and Athletic Excellence in the GPAC."
The new logo will retain the same color scheme as the old GPAC logo with the three stars which symbolize the three states that the GPAC represents in Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota. Added to the new logo are three rows of cropland on the bottom of a shield which also represents the three states in the Great Plains where the GPAC members are located. The cropland and fields look emphasizes the geographical location of the conference. The letters GPAC are very prominent in the new logo as the continued brand of the conference.
"The new logo will enhance our print, web, and apparel presence moving forward as a conference," added Commissioner Westra. "The GPAC will also increase its branding efforts through the 20 championship and invitational sports the conference offers to its 12 member schools and over 5,000 student-athletes." Various versions of the new GPAC logo will be made available highlighting the various GPAC Championships and Tournaments as well as other events in the Great Plains Athletic Conference.
Along with the logo redesign, the GPAC will be unveiling a new website in July at www.gpacsports.com that will incorporate the new GPAC logo. The web redesign is being completed through SID Help. Learn more about SID Help by clicking here.
The new logo was designed and created by Mongoose Sports in Denver, Colorado. Mongoose Sports is a creative design studio specializing in custom logo design and sports branding. Founded in 1998, Mongoose Sports is a small team of artists with a deep passion for sports art. Mongoose Sports recently did the logo redesign for Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, and South Dakota State University in Brookings, South Dakota. Learn more about Mongoose Sports by clicking here.
The History of the Great Plains Athletic Conference
Originally founded in 1969 as the Nebraska Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (NIAC), the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) retains five of its six charter members – Concordia University, Doane College, Hastings College, Midland University and Nebraska Wesleyan University.
In 1992, the NIAC added Northwestern College in Iowa and became the Nebraska-Iowa Athletic Conference. Eight years later, Dakota Wesleyan University, Dordt College, Mount Marty College and the University Sioux Falls joined the conference which became the Great Plains Athletic Conference (GPAC) in 2000-2001. Briar Cliff University entered the league in 2002-2003 and Morningside College joined the league starting with the 2003-2004 school year. In the summer of 2010 Dana College ceased operations and in 2011 The University of Sioux Falls ceased membership in the GPAC. The College of Saint Mary in Omaha, Nebraska, will join the GPAC for the 2015-2016 academic year placing membership at 12 member schools.
