At the start of the 2025-2026 school year, Trinity Prep Athletics embraced a brand shift with new logos, jerseys and sponsors, signaling a new era. The refreshed design reflects Trinity’s next chapter both in the classroom and on the field.
As part of the rebrand, Trinity adopted a new style of crests — one for academics and one for athletics — that reflects the school’s updated identity.
Every detail in the new crest carries meaning. The image in the center of the new crest represents Chi Rho, a religous symbol, and the red in the shield is from the original color of the crest. Trinity’s past logo, the fleur de lis, is present in the top left corner of the rebranded logo. Specifically, in the athletics logo, the iconic bell tower is in the center of the logo, wedged between the “T” and the “P.”
Development associate and varsity diving coach Kristy Nave has had prior experience working on the marketing side of athletics as the Marketing and Premium Services Coordinator for the New England Patriots. Nave explained why Trinity rebranded and what it aimed to promote.
“Trinity wants a more of a modern feel,” Nave said. “We just built a brand new science center, and being consistent not only with our values and mission but also with our competitors too is very important for the marketing of the school.”
Trinity’s rebrand has had a positive effect on student, and athlete, morale because it symbolizes a new era for the school’s athletic programs. A study published by the International Textile and Apparel Association found that wearing updated and well-designed athletic uniforms helps strengthen a team’s identity and boost confidence within the teams. Trinity has experienced the same effect with its rebrand.
As of Oct. 23, the varsity football team has racked up a total of five wins, which has been the most in the past six years. While jerseys do not necessarily have a direct impact on a team’s record, they contribute to a larger morale boost and a stronger sense of unity and pride as Trinity’s image is refreshed.
“The new logo gives us a fresh start,” varsity football player Jayden Moore said. “I feel like it’s kind of like a new era of football for the school. This season we’re doing really well compared to past years.”
Other sports organizations have experienced similar benefits after updating their visual identity. In 2017, after years of presenting an outdated brand to the public, the Minnesota Timberwolves needed to modernize their image to stay relavant in today’s market. The reasons the Timberwolves made the upgrades are similar to the reasons Trinity chose to rebranded: Trinity’s logos were obsolete and needed to be revitalized.
“You want to adapt to a changing marketplace, which is super important,” Nave said. “That’s what Trinity did (with the rebrand).”
Part of the purpose for the rebrand was to provide a consistent image across all teams because previously each team had different jerseys and uniforms, making Trinity’s various athletic programs look severed.
“It’s been a really positive thing to see everybody get on board with (it),” Assistant Athletic Director Travis Sanders said. “We are not just one team. This is our whole athletic program and school. We’re all wearing blue and gold. We’re all wearing the same crest. That brings a deeper sense of connection between programs.”
What started as a visual change has evolved into a unifying force across sports, creating a shared identity that ties the individual programs together.
“We’re all wearing the same branding,” Sanders said. “We feel like an athletic program and not just a collection of teams.”
While the teams are now unified, the school and the athletic sides logos still remain different. This separation is very common among both collegiate and preparatory institutions.
“If you look a lot of universities and their logos, the academic side often has a different logo from the athletics side,” Sanders said. “That’s what we’ve done here. It fits a (college preparatory) model (just) as well as a collegiate one.”
While the academic rebrand set the foundation for it, the athletics program has extended it into everyday life. Students watching games or walking around campus see the features of the rebrand on athletic jerseys and school uniforms.
The new slogan, “Lead On,” has been prominently displayed all over campus, becoming a part of Trinity’s renewed identity. According to Sanders, the slogan, much like the overall response to the rebrand has been great. Students, athletes, parents and faculty have all embraced the fresh look.
“Every interaction that we’ve had has been positive,” Sanders said. “Clearly, people love new jerseys and new apparels. It’s been fun to have (athletes) wear the new logo.”
The rebranding effort has extended far past new slogans, athletic-wear or school crests. It has become something Saints can see anywhere on campus. The rebranded logos are found on the merchandise at the new Trinity School Store and on all students’ identification cards.
“It really starts the minute you set foot on campus,” Sanders said. “It’s hard to miss when you drive into our campus now. We have five banners hanging on the light posts as you enter, banners on the back of the dugouts and on the back of the away bleachers. The branding for us is now bigger than just the uniform or T-shirt athletes are wearing.”
For many players, the rebrand did not just change how they looked — it changed their mindset. Moore has worn both versions of the jerseys, saying the new ones positively affect his confidence and performance.
“You look good, you feel good, you play good,” Moore said. “The uniforms look good, and it gives me some confidence.”
Behind the sleek designs and updated logos sits a plan much bigger than athletics. The rebrand opened new marketing opportunities for Trinity, from merchandise sold at the school store to promotional events.
“When (schools) rebrand, (they) stay consistent across the board,” Nave said. “All the letters and envelopes, (the) website, everything is consistent. Following a rebrand, you don’t look disorganized. They make schools look more professional.”
The signage is also exhibited on the pool deck and along Aloma Avenue displaying the rediscovered pride students have found in being Saints.
“We’re more proud to be Trinity Prep Saints,” Nave said. “Indirectly the signage kind of brings everyone together.”
A rebrand means new ways to make money, too. Student gear and team apparel can bring in funds that go directly back into the sports programs, fueling initiatives like buying new equipment or hiring more coaches.
As Trinity continues to build on its renewed identity, the rebrand stands for more than just a visible change. While the new logos, jerseys, slogans and merchandise are appreciable, the rebrand is made to be a statement of where the school is headed.
“There’s an ever-evolving nature to logos,” Sanders said. “Maybe this iteration of the crest is what we carry on for the next 50 years. Maybe it changes over time as styles change and grow. It really would be powerful to keep (this) logo and make this our identity for a long time. It really could happen.”
