Grand Canyon University’s athletic teams, the Antelopes, compete in NCAA Division I as members of the Western Athletic Conference. The university’s visual identity is built around a distinctive purple color and a series of antelope and letter-based marks developed over the past decade.
Design and History
The modern era of Grand Canyon Antelopes branding began in August 2013, when the university unveiled new logos as part of its transition to NCAA Division I competition. At the time, Eric McHaney, vice president of marketing at GCU, said the school had used the same logo since the mid-1970s and that entering Division I seemed like the optimal time for a change. The goal was a more modern look that captured distinguishing characteristics of the pronghorn antelope, including stripes on the neck and a two-toned underbelly, while conveying the sleekness of an animal capable of running 42 mph over a one-mile stretch. A focus group of executive staff, marketing personnel, athletics and student leadership narrowed a group of 10 new logos to four finalists, with the sleeker antelope design the overwhelming favorite.[1]
That 2013 mark, known as the “Running Lope,” became a foundational element of GCU’s brand. In 2020, GCU’s athletics site noted that the antelope logo used in 2010 had front and hind hooves meeting below the purple body’s midsection, and that it was redesigned during the decade into a running Lope as the athletic program found its stride with the 2013 Division I move.[2]
In February 2023, GCU unveiled a new primary logo called “Speed GCU” at a Lopes basketball game. The full logo system was built out and refined for a June 30, 2023 launch ahead of the 2023-24 academic year. The Running Lope continued as a foundational element, updated with cohesive speed lines and agile movement to match the university’s identity. The “Arched GCU” logo, introduced before the 2015-16 academic year, was retired.[3]
Meaning and Symbolism
The Antelopes nickname dates to 1949, the year Grand Canyon College opened in Prescott, Arizona. Students chose the Antelope as the official mascot in a schoolwide vote before the first basketball season, with finalists including the Antelopes and the offbeat “Beasts of Burden.”[4] GCU is the only university with the “Lopes” nickname and one of only three with an antelope mascot.[5]
The university’s official athletic color palette is documented in its brand standards. The primary purple is specified as PMS 267, CMYK 76/96/0/0, HEX #522398, alongside black, white and gray.[6]
Typography and Design
GCU’s brand standards describe a customized font system titled “Thunder,” consisting of unique letters and numbers for university use. The font is unique to GCU and not available for distribution except with written permission.[6] The custom Thunder font was developed to tie the brand together with “Lopes” and “Grand Canyon” wordmarks, which began appearing on branded items such as athletic uniforms.[3]
The current brand system includes the primary “Speed GCU” logo, the secondary “Running Lope” mark (updated as of July 1, 2023), and separate Lopes and Grand Canyon wordmarks. GCU’s brand standards explicitly prohibit use of the retired Arched GCU logo, the Running Lope with a detached lower lightning bolt, diagonal GCU text, and anything including a preceding apostrophe in Lopes.[6]
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