The new Knox College Prairie Fire athletics logo recently received a silver award in the international 2017 Circle of Excellence awards program from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). The Prairie Fire logo was one of 20 entries in the Visual Identity System category and one of two institutions to be recognized by a panel of experts.

The CASE judges noted the "thought, collaboration, and consideration of various aspects of the school and athletic community that were woven into the process," as well as the creative use of the logo and mascot on promotional items. 

"After more than a year of design work and promotional planning, we could not have been more pleased by the Knox community's positive response to the new Prairie Fire logo and our mascot, Blaze," said Megan Scott, vice president for communications. "This logo project was a true collaboration among departments at Knox, and it is particularly gratifying to have the final result, especially the collaborative nature of the project, recognized by CASE." 

The new Prairie Fire logo, along with the new fox mascot, were designed and developed by SME, Inc. in New York, a brand development and creative consultant who has worked with many colleges and universities around the country. Knox athletics worked together with the Offices of Communications, Admission, and Advancement and AtLast Communications on the development of the logo and mascot. The project was started in August 2015 and completed in October 2016, when Blaze the Knox fox was officially introduced to campus. Review and comment from members of the Knox community, including students, coaches, faculty, and staff, was integral to the design process.

The Council for Advancement and Support of Education is one of the largest international associations of education institutions, serving more than 3,600 universities, colleges, schools, and related organizations in more than 80 countries. It is the leading resource for professional development, information, and standards in the fields of alumni relations, communications, educational fundraising, and marketing. More than 715 higher education institutions, independent schools, and nonprofits from around the world submitted more than 3,300 entries in nearly 100 Circle of Excellence categories, spanning a wide range of print and electronic communications. Across all categories, judges gave 366 awards: 118 bronze; 125 silver, 107 gold, and 16 grand Gold.