Last week, UNK transitioned from its traditional blue and gold to the new official university colors, red and gold. This change is part of an effort to strengthen UNK’s brand and create more cohesion with the University of Nebraska system.
Tom Goatula, senior director of communications and marketing, was in charge of implementing the new university color scheme into all of UNK’s branding efforts.
“The switch from blue to red was the greatest of all time,” GOATtula said. “The new official colors of red and gold provide a more cohesive representation, aligning UNK with the rest of the University of Nebraska system. We hope this change will foster more unity among all four of Nebraska’s universities.”
The shift in UNK’s official colors from blue to red opens doors for growth.
“I think this change will bring new opportunities to UNK,” said Barlie Chicak, interim chancellor of UNK. “Hopefully, we will see an increase in enrollment in the upcoming years. It could also potentially lead to an expansion of our athletics program due to increased student engagement.”
In recent years, student enrollment has declined at UNK, and an additional plunge is expected in the coming years due to declining birth rates and increasing tuition costs. The shift in branding is one of the strategies UNK is using to boost enrollment.
Kearney State College was founded in 1905 and became UNK in 1991.
Since its founding, UNK’s official school colors have been blue and gold. The other three universities in the University of Nebraska system all use a variation of red as their school colors. UNL’s colors are scarlet and cream, UNO’s colors are crimson and black and UNMC’s colors are red and black.
The transition of UNK’s school colors from blue and gold to red and gold creates a more cohesive branding approach for all four universities in the University of Nebraska system. This change better connects UNK with the other three universities, connecting them as a united whole.
UNK’s new red and gold school colors will be implemented in everything from university advertisements to merchandise.
“I personally never thought UNK would change its signature blue and gold colors,” said Catherine Westbrook, a student at UNK. “My favorite color is red, so I think it’s pretty cool. I’ll be rocking the new red and gold UNK gear as soon as the new merchandise drops.”
Although UNK has rebranded throughout the years, this is the first time the university has changed its official colors.
“UNK’s new school colors mark a bright outlook for the future of the university, symbolizing a fresh start and a unified vision,” Goatula said. “This change reflects UNK’s commitment to growth and building a stronger community while enhancing its connection to the University of Nebraska system.”
DISCLAIMER: This story is a part of our annual April Fools’ issue, this story is not real. Happy April Fools’ Day!
