MOSCOW, Idaho - When the University of Idaho asked its fans to submit designs for the official Vandal Game Day T-shirt contest, 57 entries came flooding in, with great creativity vying to catch the judges' eyes.
A selection committee narrowed those entries down to six finalists and last week, a university panel of celebrity judges chose a top design for the 2010-11 Vandal Game Day T-shirt.
The winning design comes from Zack Turner, a 2008 University of Idaho alumnus living in Eagle, Idaho.
"For the University of Idaho I feel it's more an honor to know that my design will be seen all over campus for this year and for as long as people keep the shirt," Turner said. "In my journey through life, I know a piece of whatever I do will come from my U of I roots."
The design features an image of Joe Vandal and "Vandal Game Day," and will be printed on a white shirt. The winning design can be viewed at http://uidaho.edu/vandalfootball/2010-2011gamedayt-shirt.
The selection committee - which included representatives from the University of Idaho's Student Alumni Relations Board (SARB), athletics, Creative Services and the Bookstore - turned over the six finalist designs to a panel of judges, which included Idaho President Duane Nellis and Athletics Director Rob Spear, to vote on a final, top-choice design.
This year marks the first time that SARB, athletics and the bookstore have teamed up to sponsor the contest; with a successful first year, the tradition is building momentum.
"The 2010 Game T-shirt Design Contest was a monumental success," said Nick Popplewell, director of marketing for Idaho Athletics. "We had dozens of submissions from Vandals around the globe and each one captured elements of the excitement and spirit of the Vandal game day experience. The success of this first year will provide an excellent foundation as this contest grows to become a beloved tradition in the future."
The shirt will be sold in the University Bookstore throughout the 2010-11 school year as the official Vandal Game Day T-shirt of 2010-11for all Vandal athletics.
The first chance to purchase the shirt will be Tuesday, Aug. 17, at the grand opening of the VandalStore in Boise; sales in Moscow begin on Aug. 23 - the first day of classes.
