It’s big. It’s timely. Most of all, it’s bold.

It’s The Big West Conference’s new image, one that reflects changing times while also embracing the league’s 52-year history.

“Only The Bold” will be The Big West’s mantra beginning today as the conference announced its new logo and brand identity. It is a reflection of the league’s 10 California-based schools along with Hawai’1. In addition, it is a statement embracing the state of today’s intercollegiate athletics ecosystem and culture, one that is about diversity, inclusivity and entrepreneurship.

“In the interview process the Board of Directors made it clear that they were looking for someone who would look to evolve The Big West brand beyond its current state,” commissioner Dan Butterly said. “With new leadership and new membership in The Big West, we felt it was important to find a strategic direction based on brand research. We now have a philosophy of who we are and what we can be and we’re moving The Big West in a bold, new direction. Our new tagline, “Only The Bold”, captures the idea of The Big West as a dynamic, challenger brand that will look for creative solutions that motivate our student-athletes, coaches and teams.

The timing was right for change, arguably the biggest for the conference since 1988 when the league changed its name from the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (PCAA) to The Big West. Butterly, who was named commissioner 14 months ago after working as senior associate commissioner of the Mountain West Conference, has experience in image enhancement. He helped create the MW’s logo and prior to that, was responsible for the Missouri Valley’s current logo when he worked there in the 1990s. The Big West’s primary colors for its logo are black and silver though each member will activate the logo in school colors.

The change comes amid a health crisis that has impacted life throughout the country along with social change and economic challenges. It also comes at a time of expansion in the number of media platforms and the ways fans consume information.

“College athletics is transitioning to the era of the student-athlete, which is where the emphasis always should have been,” Butterly said. “Behind more liberal transfer policies, and now Name, Image and Likeness, student-athletes are provided more opportunity than ever in the history of the NCAA”

“Being the first conference with a league-wide deal to provide NIL education and disclosure services to our student-athletes is one example of how we’re activating one of our five new brand pillars which is Fearless Innovation. Our diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, which come together under the moniker of Big West Undivided, show our commitment to the pillar of Bold Activism.

“We also see tremendous growth potential in The Big West. That’s the pillar we call Boundless Opportunity. Moving the Big West Basketball Championships to the brand-new Dollar Loan Center in Henderson, NV and signing an exciting new deal with ESPN that provides Big West fans more than 600 games per year on ESPN+ are examples of our desire to capitalize on the myriad opportunities we have to move The Big West forward.

“Our overall approach is borne of the ideals that make our region so unique. California and Hawai’1 are places where imagination, creativity and freedom are cultural imperatives, so we bring that Pacific Spirit to everything we do. Of course, the pillar of Enduring Integrity underpins it all. We are committed to doing the right things the right way on the field, in the classroom and in our communities.”

The Big West collaborated with Pet Turtle Branding on the project. Pet Turtle has helped develop branding initiatives for the New York Yankees, the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Kentucky Derby among others.

“Having provided brand strategies and identity programs to nearly a third of all collegiate athletic conferences in the country, the process undertaken by the Big West was the most collaborative that my team has been involved with,” said Ed O’Hara, Pet Turtle’s Principal. ”Applying valuable information gleaned from a broad cross-section of stakeholders, including critical input from student-athletes has yielded a new identity which strikingly reflects unique aspects of the west coast and its people — fresh, contemporary, young at heart, strong, hopeful and moving forward.”

The Big West Brand Task Force, a group that represented each institution and ran the gamut from student-athletes to university presidents, provided valuable input throughout the process. One of the student-athletes who had input, CSU Bakersfield women’s basketball player Vanessa Austin, said the new brand has energized her.

“The new Big West brand and what it stands for makes me truly excited to be part of this conference,” she said. “Not only does it make me want to compete on the court, but it makes me want to compete off the court.”

Ashley Preston, the former head women’s volleyball coach at Cal State Fullerton, reflected Austin’s enthusiasm.

“Being a part of the Big West Brand Task force wasn’t just about recreating a logo; it was about honestly and authentically asking the question, ‘In this day and age what do we stand for as a conference?’ she said. “With the historical richness we have, the region we are in and the diversity we hold with Asian Pacific Islander, Hispanic, Black, LGBTQ coaches, players, fans and donors — we are BOLD. These brand pillars give us the foundation of what we intend to embody beyond the wins and losses.”

As The Big West is redefined, Butterly reminds the importance of not forgetting the past as it goes forward into the future.

“In our brand research we came across a quote from the graphic designer Sagi Haviv, ‘The logo is the period at the end of the sentence. Not the sentence itself.’” he said. “Of course, know the immediate recognition in the market will be placed on the new logo, but ultimately the success of this effort will be based on the success of our student-athletes and teams and our ability to live up to the promise of the pillars I mentioned earlier.

“This process is 95% about the research findings, strategic branding and communication. The logo is 5%, but also the most visible. We spoke with more than 2,200 individuals in the process and the brand and logo were unanimously and enthusiastically approved by the Board of Directors. Our goal now is to apply what we’ve learned to improve every aspect of The Big West.

“Our purpose statement sums it up well, “to empower every student-athlete in competition and in life, and to unite our community through championship experiences.” That’s why we exist and that’s what we’re focused on every day.”