Grand Canyon Antelopes Logo PNG
The three-letter abbreviation of the name is the minimalist logo of the Grand Canyon Antelopes, the sports program of the local university. The symbol reflects the aspiration to a new story that began after the 1990s. The emblem is a way to present the brand favorably, ensuring its recognition and informativeness.
Grand Canyon Antelopes: Brand overview
Grand Canyon University was founded in 1949 in Prescott, Arizona, as a small Christian college. In its first year, students chose the Antelope as the mascot, giving rise to the nickname “Lopes”. In 1951, the campus moved to Phoenix.
Basketball became the main sport early on. After joining the Arizona Intercollegiate Conference in 1967, the team won NAIA national titles in 1975 and 1978, both with 30:3 records, and added another in 1988. Among players were Horacio Llamas and Bayard Forrest, who later appeared in the NBA with the Seattle SuperSonics and the Phoenix Suns.
In the early 1990s, the program entered NCAA Division II. Men’s soccer won a national title in 1996 against Oakland University. In 2007, the basketball team won the PacWest Conference title and reached the NCAA tournament.
In 2012, Grand Canyon University announced a move to NCAA Division I and the Western Athletic Conference, effective in 2013, alongside rapid institutional expansion under Brian Mueller. Full membership began in 2017, following a transition period without postseason access.
Dan Majerle led the early Division I years, followed by Bryce Drew in 2020. In 2021, Lopes won the WAC regular-season and tournament titles, earning an NCAA Tournament berth. In 2024, they beat Saint Mary’s to win their first Division I tournament. In 2025, the program joined the Mountain West Conference.
Meaning and History
The nickname Antelopes is only reflected in the old emblems of the sports department. The 2005-2012 logo fully recreated the university’s color palette: purple, white, and black. At the center of the composition is the silhouette of a running antelope, outlined by two lines. To the left is the stylized inscription “‘Lopes,” which is hard to read due to the specific font.
In 2013-2014, there was much less black. The animal’s figure conveys more dynamism, although the drawing’s style has not changed. The team’s nickname shifted downward and adopted a new, legible font. The final version of the logo was introduced in 2015. This time, designers moved away from the previous concept: they depicted not a sports mascot but the abbreviated name of Grand Canyon University. The purple letters “GCU” are arranged as a mini arch.
What is Grand Canyon Antelopes?
Grand Canyon Antelopes is the sports department of Grand Canyon University. It includes 21 teams, is located in Phoenix, Arizona, and participates in NCAA Division I as a member of the Western Athletic Conference. Since the 2017-2018 season, the volleyball team has competed in MPSF.
1978 – 2013
2013 – 2015
2015 – 2023
2023 – today
Grand Canyon Antelopes Basketball
When the men’s team competed in NAIA, it won three association championships. The basketball players had the opportunity to participate in the WAC tournament in 2018 after a four-year probationary period. The debut was successful – they reached the finals and took first place.
Grand Canyon Antelopes Baseball
The baseball team was established in 1953 but only entered Division I in 2018. As of 2020, it has four NAIA Baseball World Series victories. The players’ head coach is Andy Stankiewicz.