Grand Valley State Lakers is the athletic identity of Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan. The university maintains two distinct logo systems: the institutional “circle G” mark and a separate athletics logo system built around a “GV” monogram. The athletics identity is trademarked and managed through a licensing program administered by Affinity Licensing on behalf of the university.[1]
Design and History
The current athletics logo is a “GV” block-letter design adopted in 2011.[2] The university’s official institutional logo, by contrast, is the “circle G,” a design that has been in use since the early 1970s. When it was first created, the university was known as Grand Valley State Colleges, and the logo featured a leaf inside the circle, representing the university’s rural setting. The single-line design was meant to symbolize one large school encompassing a number of smaller colleges within. When the institution changed its name to Grand Valley State University in 1987, the leaf was removed but the “circle G” design remained.[2]
The athletics logo system has its own separate history. In the early 2000s, as the athletic department gained national recognition, it sought a distinct image. A new athletic logo debuted in a nationally televised 2001 NCAA Division II championship game, but the Peoria Rivermen, a minor league hockey franchise, accused GVSU of infringing its copyright, claiming the logo, which featured the face of a grinning Louie the Laker, resembled the Rivermen’s sailor logo. The dispute forced GVSU to change the design.[2]
In 2002, a design team consisting of professional graphic designer Bob Wismer, then-assistant athletic director Rob Odejewski, and sports information director Tim Nott led the search for a new sports logo. Wismer told the Lanthorn in 2002, “Odie and I really believed the old logo didn’t have the pizzazz that a top Division II program like Grand Valley State needed. Our goal was to create one with more action and verve.” A new logo was adopted in 2003 and used until the change to “GV” block lettering in 2011.[2]
The athletics “GV” logo was already in use before the 2011 adoption. In the summer of 2008, the Fieldhouse Arena was resurfaced, replacing the institutional “GV” logo with the new athletics “GV” logo on center court.[3]
Meaning and Symbolism
The Lakers nickname was chosen in 1965 through a student contest. Options included Warriors, Bluejays, Archers, Voyagers, Ottawas, and the Bruisers, based on the school colors. The Lakers, a write-in suggestion submitted by student Annie Kate McDonald, won.[4] A decade later, in 1975, a task force recommended changing the nickname to Sawyers, citing the lumber mills along the Grand River that comprised Allendale’s largest industry in the 19th century. Faculty and staff voted to keep Lakers.[5]
The university’s official colors are blue, black, and white. The NCAA lists the blue as PMS 286C with HEX code 0033A0.[6] The university’s identity guidelines describe the Grand Valley logo as “arguably the most important element in recall and recognition of our brand.”[7]
Typography and Design
The university’s identity system includes primary, secondary, and tertiary logos, each used for different purposes. The logomark can be used as a graphic element or as a logo for internal audiences and extremely small use cases, but it cannot be used to create a new logo.[7] The athletics logo system is separate from the institutional marks and is governed by its own style and usage guide.[1]
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