Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Logo PNG
Due to the color choice and the design imitating the gradient effect, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association logo looks rather calm and peaceful. The deep and rather saturated shade of blue in combination with the white background conjures up the images of the placid ocean under the blue sky with white clouds.
The impression is only reinforced by the rounded angles of the letters. Even the implied motion suggested by the italicized glyphs does not manage to break the overall impression.
Meaning and history
Formed by a coalition of African-American educational institutions in 1912, the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) is one of America’s oldest athletic conferences. The founding vision was to create a platform for athletic engagement and mutual growth among these institutions, which has since evolved into a significant entity championing both academic prowess and sports ethics.
The CIAA has played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape of college sports, especially for African-American student-athletes. It has been a fertile ground for nurturing extraordinary sports talents and has profoundly influenced the broader spectrum of collegiate sports. Notably, its basketball tournament has grown into more than just a competition; it represents a fusion of athleticism, educational ambition, and cultural heritage.
Today, the CIAA continues to carry forward its rich heritage, comprising a network of diverse member institutions, predominantly HBCUs. Its ongoing commitment is evident in its focus on balancing athletic competition with academic achievement and social responsibility, ensuring the CIAA remains an integral and influential component in the realm of collegiate athletics.
What is Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association?
The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) represents a historic and culturally significant athletic conference, predominantly encompassing HBCUs. Established in 1912, it has been a cornerstone in nurturing athletic talent and promoting academic excellence, with a unique emphasis on enriching the collegiate experience for African-American students.
1983 – 2014
The original logo of the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association was created in 1983 and stayed with the organization for more than thirty years. It was a simple yet stable and confident badge with just the abbreviation wordmark on it. The lettering in the uppercase was executed in a narrowed custom sans-serif typeface, with the blue bodies of the letters horizontally cut by several white lines of different widths, and placed at different distances from each other. The lines got thinner and the space wider as they went from the top of the letters to their bottom.
2015 – Today
From 1983 to 2014, the CIAA used a different emblem. It featured the same shade of blue but a different pattern. The italicized effect was less noticeable.
