GDUSA Debuts the Sports Graphic Design Awards for A Creative Field AI Can't Replace

New competition recognizes the human creativity behind team rebrands, broadcast graphics, merchandise systems, and stadium-scale fan experiences.

NEW YORK, March 16, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, GDUSA announced the launch of the inaugural GDUSA Sports Graphic Design Awards™  - a new annual competition honoring standout creative work across team identity, marketing, digital and broadcast graphics, apparel, and environmental design. Submissions are open now through April 13, 2026, with winners announced in May.

Sports is one of the most visually stimulating industries in the world, yet the designers behind its most iconic identities, campaigns, and fan experiences have rarely had a dedicated stage. Graphic Design USA (GDUSA), the trade publication serving the professional design community since 1963, is changing that.

As AI accelerates the automation of lower-complexity design tasks, sports stand out as a category where human-led creative systems matter even more: today's teams, leagues, and broadcasters are not just producing logos, but full identity ecosystems spanning uniforms and merchandise, schedule-release campaigns, social-motion packages, broadcast graphics, and stadium-scale environments. That complexity is only increasing.

Streaming reached a record 47.5% of American's TV viewing in December 2025, pushing sports brands to perform across more screens and formats. Meanwhile, teams and venues continue investing in large-scale visual experiences such as major rebrands, new graphics packages, and immersive stadium display systems. Yet as a profession, graphic designers in the sports industry do not have a platform to elevate and celebrate their critical work. GDUSA's new competition aims to correct that.

"Sports design may be one of the most demanding disciplines in the profession," said Gordon Kaye, editor and publisher of GDUSA. "It has to work instantly, emotionally, and across every platform from the phone screen to the arena. At a moment when more creative work is being automated, sports design stands out for requiring not less human thinking, but more."

ABOUT THE COMPETITION

The GDUSA Sports Graphic Design Awards are open to agencies, in-house teams, studios, and independent designers worldwide. It encourages designers with projects for professional, collegiate, esports, and amateur levels to apply. Entries are accepted across six core categories:

Team & Event Brand Identity: Identity systems, marks, and branding that define teams, events, and sports properties.

Marketing & Promotional Design: Campaign visuals driving awareness, ticketing, fan engagement, and conversion.

Digital Streaming, TV & Broadcast Graphics: Motion packages, social graphics, scorebugs, and assets built for screens and live coverage.

Apparel & Merchandise Graphics: Uniform graphics, collections, and merch programs translating brand equity into wearable design.

Environmental & Experiential Graphics: Venue graphics, activations, fan zones, and wayfinding systems that elevate the in-person experience.

Digital Products, Platforms & Fan Experience: Apps, websites, fantasy and gaming interfaces, ticketing, streaming, sports betting, and digital fan experiences.

Judging is conducted across two rounds and scored on the project's impact, creativity, and originality. Each category produces a winner and Gold, Silver, and Bronze awards will be selected from overall finalists.

A JURY OF PRACTITIONERS

The 2026 competition is judged by a peer jury of working sports designers and leading identity practitioners:

Sagi Haviv, Partner & Designer, Chermayeff & Geismar & Haviv: Known for iconic identity systems for the U.S. Open, NYC Marathon, TNT Sports, NBC, and ATP, among many others.

Nick Matarese, Founder, The Barn Creative: Award-winning sports brand designer behind work for Disney, adidas, NBC Sports, and professional franchises across the NFL, NHL, and MLB.

Nate Evans, Graphic Designer, Oklahoma City Thunder: In-house designer who has driven visual identity through multiple season launches, playoffs, and an NBA Finals run.

Jaden Roberts-Thomas, Graphic Designer, San Diego Wave Futbol Club: Visual storyteller with experience across professional soccer, college athletics, and fan-facing brand content.

ABOUT GRAPHIC DESIGN USA

Graphic Design USA (GDUSA) has covered the people, trends, business, and opportunities of the creative profession since 1963 through its website, newsletters, print publication, and awards programs. Its competitions recognize excellence across major sectors of graphic design, including digital, packaging, in-house, health and wellness, and sports design.

The Sports Graphic Design Awards extend GDUSA's legacy into one of design's most dynamic and highest-stakes arenas — recognizing the craft that turns sports into culture.

ENTRY DETAILS

Submission Window: March 9 – April 13, 2026
Enter: gdusa.secure-platform.com/sports_design
Contact: [email protected]

Media Contact:
Sasha Kaye-Walsh
917-817-0872
[email protected]

SOURCE Graphic Design USA