New NASL Championship Trophy on Display this Weekend; Q & A with Designer Rich Levy

On Friday evening, October 20th at 8:00 p.m., Brits Pub in Minneapolis, Minnesota will host the reveal of the new NASL Championship Trophy.

(See below for a Q & A with designer Rich Levy where he reveals details of the trophy)

The trophy was commissioned by the North American Soccer League and Rich Levy, former Creative Director for Major League Soccer, was chosen to design it. Levy, who is now Design Director and Principal at [ 343RLP+ ], also created the new NASL and Fort Lauderdale Strikers logos.

Levy went to work merging elements of the original NASL Soccer Bowl trophy into this new cup for the new NASL. After the design was approved he worked closely with Thomas Lyte Silver of London who did the crafting of the trophy.

Rishi Sehgal, spokesperson for the NASL, says the new trophy will be unveiled for the first time at this special event for the Stars supporters to thank and reward them for their loyalty and support during the year. Fans are encouraged to have their photos taken with the new trophy. Fans who have their photo taken with the trophy are encouraged to email them to IMSoccer News and they will be posted in a slide show early next week.

Sehgal told IMS that the trophy will also be on display on the entryway into the National Sports Center Stadium before Saturday evening’s 1st leg match and displayed at midfield during the game.

“The trophy is a league-owned icon like the Stanley Cup,” said Sehgal. “It will be re-engraved with the champions team’s name and year each season. Each championship team will have an opportunity to display the trophy on home soil during their reign.”

According to Sehgal, the trophy will reside in the League vault; however the rules for how long it will remain with the champion and when it will return to the League are not yet fully defined.

Here is a brief Q & A conducted with Rich Levy, creator of the NASL Trophy.

IMS: Rich, you have worked for Major League Soccer. What trophies and logos that MLS are currently using are you responsible for?

RL: Yes, I worked at MLS for over a decade during what I consider its pioneering years in regard to soccer design. During my time there I had the opportunity to create the following trophies and identities still used today: the Philip F. Anschutz (MLS Cup) and MLS All-Star trophies, the current MLS league logo, Eastern and Western Conference logos, MLS Cup Championship badge, MLS Futbolito, MLS W.O.R.K.S., Sueño MLS, RSL, FC Dallas, Houston Dynamo, Toronto FC, an evolved San Jose Earthquakes, SUM, and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup logo respectively.

IMS: You founded [ 343RLP+ ] a creative group boutique agency and principally work with sports teams and leagues. What might be some of the more notable things you have created while with 343 RLP+?

RL: We have a passion for design in all sports marketing and branding and in particular soccer from a domestic and global perspective. We value design to the point of a Zen state to get that perfect “10” which is the meaning of 343 that enlightens RLP. Check out our new and evolved logo at 343RLP.com.

In three short years, [ 343RLP+ ] has had the opportunity to design, evolve and direct the creative process for brand identities for the NASL, Fort Lauderdale Strikers, Ethan Zohn’s ZOHN FC, Madison Square Garden, F.C. Harlem and Premier Partnerships. We have also spearheaded and produced marketing campaigns for FOX Soccer, FOX Soccer Plus, Washington Freedom, FC Gold Pride, and NASL as well as directing the design strategy for this year’s 2011 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Colombia. Finally, industrial design is a niche area of our work, creating trophies and custom awards for US Soccer, MLS, WPS, United Football League, and most recently for the NASL.

IMS: How did the old NASL influence this new trophy?

RL: In a similar fashion to the redesigned NASL logo, we wanted to respect the rich NASL history and compliment it with an iconic trophy in the new era of the NASL to its players and fans of the game. The two handles rising in victory hold the bowl that follows the visual cues and shape of the NASL logo. The bold and powerful design has a Neo-Grec style influence.

IMS: Tell me about some of the elements of this new NASL Championship Trophy?

RL: The silver plated trophy stands approximately 22-inches in height and is flanked by two 15-inch handles that hold a 10-inch diameter bowl that is 4.5-inches deep. Centered in the front of the bowl face is an applied NASL logo medallion. The black plinth has a 2.5-inch silver plated band centered with engraving that reads: NORTH AMERICAN SOCCER LEAGUE on the first line followed by a larger scaled SOCCER BOWL. The trophy weighs approximately 20 pounds.