Kansas State gets it in licensing deals
By CANDACE BUCKNER
For any high school searching for new mascot logo, may we suggest the “Powercat.” It’s sleek, it has two fangs and it costs less than a McDonald’s cheeseburger.
The Carlisle Community School District in Iowa is grateful for that. In a time when universities are bombarding high schools with cease-and-desist letters to stop using their logos, K-State has agreed to let the Carlisle district continue with the Powercat symbol. And only for $1.
“It’s hilarious,” Carlisle superintendent Tom Lane said. “We were fully prepared to politely be told, ‘Sorry,’ and we were elated that we can keep it. We like the logo here.”
Lane should be relieved that there’s no “W” in Carlisle. The University of Wisconsin has told another Iowa school district to stop using its logo. So now the Waukee school district has five years to erase the Badgers’ “W” from gym floors, uniforms and signage, or else Wisconsin goes legal.
“Waukee was told: ‘No ifs, ands and buts. You’re done using our logo,’ ” Lane said. “I had just assumed with our licensing agreement (with K-State) due that we were going to hear the same thing.”
But K-State played nice and extended the licensing contract another two years. And in a move that shows somebody is thinking inside K-State’s public relations department, the university charged the Carlisle school district a mere dollar. Hint, hint: Wisconsin, charging a buck generates much more positive press than releasing lawyers.
“We don’t want to create a financial hardship for high schools,” said Tami Breymeyer, K-State director of licensing, “so we set it a fair rate.”
