Peace Now The Pacers

August 24, 2004 - Peace College has adopted the nickname “Pacers” for its athletics teams. The school unveiled its new athletics logo and mascot design Tuesday in a ceremony attended by Peace students, faculty and staff.

“The new mascot captures the spirit and forward movement of Peace College – and of Peace College athletics,” said Peace College President Laura Bingham.

“The mission of Peace College is about women assuming leadership roles in life, in careers, and in the many endeavors we undertake,” Bingham said. “We believe in, teach and demonstrate ‘ethical lives of purpose, leadership and service,’ as the Peace mission declares. In our results and in how we play the game, we want to be out front, setting the pace for all the other teams in the conference and beyond —and I believe we’re on the right track to do that.”

The mascot and logo design were unveiled during a ceremony in the college’s Hermann Student Center gymnasium. The new mascot design, which incorporates the profile of a running horse, is painted at the center of the gym’s basketball court. 

Peace College, long known as “The Pride,” needed to choose a new nickname after joining the USA South Athletic Conference because the conference already included a school, Greensboro College, which used “The Pride” as its nickname.

Peace College was accepted into the USA South Athletic Conference and began active status in the fall of 2003. Peace is the first women's college in North Carolina to join a co-educational athletic conference. Peace was granted active membership in the National Collegiate Athletic Association in August 2002.

Rita Wiggs, commissioner of the USA South Athletic Conference, attended the event.   “The conference is delighted that Peace College made the decision to make a change with their logo since we had another school in the conference with ‘The Pride’ as their mascot,” Wiggs said. “I think the design that has been chosen is very dynamic and very beautiful.”

Peace Athletic Director Kelly Johnson said the new nickname and design captures the excitement of the college’s athletics program.

“Peace College had a great deal of success in its first year in USA South competition last year,” Johnson said. “We’re looking forward to building on that success and moving our teams forward, and this new look captures that spirit.”