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Conceived in 2016 as a collaborative effort between UB Athletics and ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Communications (UC), the spirit mark is the most informal of our brand assets, created to evoke a sense of energy, pride, drive and action. It’s ideally suited to represent the tenacious, competitive nature of UB’s athletics, but is available for use across the university community to reflect the spirit and pride of our student experience. Concurrently, three stylized wordmarks were developed to reflect variations in our Athletics naming in different contexts: Buffalo, Bulls and Buffalo Bulls. The union of the spirit mark and these stylized wordmarks represents the suite of official Athletics logos and marks.

UB Blue, Bulls Black, Hayes Hall White and Townsend Gray are the only colors assigned to the spirit mark and the wordmarks. The spirit mark (the bull head as well as the cutout portions such as the eyes, brows, nose, nostrils and mouth) may not appear in any other color or in any pattern (e.g., stripes or dots). Therefore, depending on the background color, a two-color version of the spirit mark may be required so that the cutouts appear correctly.

An appropriate amount of clear space must be maintained around logos and marks to ensure:

• Legibility and visual impact. Clear space facilitates easy reading and instant recognizability, even from a distance or at smaller sizes. Without sufficient space, other design elements can crowd the logo, making it difficult to distinguish. Clear space also contributes to a visually balanced and aesthetically pleasing design.
• Brand integrity and consistency. Clear space ensures that the logo is displayed in a way that maintains its integrity and distinctiveness in the marketplace, helping to build a strong, recognizable professional identity.
• Avoidance of new or composite marks. When elements are too close, they can appear to merge visually, leading to confusion. Sufficient visual separation prevents any inadverent creation of new or composite marks. 
• Avoidance of unintentional brand affiliations. Clear space helps avoid any suggestion of brand endorsements or relationships where none exist. Such perceived affiliations can mislead consumers and potentially harm the brand’s reputation.
• Legal protection. Proper use of clear space also aids in avoiding legal issues and reduces risk related to trademark infringement and brand confusion.

Two definitions of minimum clear space apply to the spirit mark. Standard clear space (the minimum space allowable) is defined as the space between the tip of the bull horn and the top of the bull head. Extended clear space (the minimum space generally recommended) is defined as the height of the entire bull head. These minimum clear space definitions were created to suit the wide and varied applications of a logo where additional clear space is not possible or conducive. More space is always permissible and almost always preferable within most applications. Additional visual examples of spirit mark clear space are available for your review.

The minimum clear space for the Athletics wordmarks or combined marks (spirit mark + wordmark) is ½ of the letter “B”. Special lockups are available for teams and Athletics offices; these are the only instances in which a word may be closer than the minimum clear space. Review additional visual examples of the combined and word mark clear space.

ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ marks cannot be locked up with other elements in such a way that a new logo or new mark could be perceived. Even if the design looks aesthetically pleasing, our marks should always stand alone.

Using the spirit mark with a secondary reference, such as the university name or—in the case of Athletics—the Athletics wordmarks, is important for several reasons:

• Brand recognition. Including a secondary reference helps bridge the association of the logo with UB. This is especially important for comparatively lesser-known brands, such as ours, that are still building recognition and equity in the marketplace.
• Clarity and context. A logo on its own might not always convey enough information about what the organization is or does. Adding the secondary reference provides context and locality, making it clear what the organization represents or offers.
• Differentiation. In a crowded market, many logos can look similar. A secondary reference helps differentiate our mark from others, reducing the risk of confusion with other brands.
• Consistency. Using a secondary reference consistently across all branding materials helps reinforce the connection between the mark and the university. This builds a stronger, more cohesive identity.
• Legal protection. Including the university name or a reference to UB can also aid in legal contexts, reducing the risk of trademark disputes or claims of copyright infringement.

The spirit mark should always have this secondary reference, which supports consistent growth of recognition. Exceptions to a secondary reference may be granted for on-campus environmental applications and team-issued uniforms. In both cases, the physical campus itself and its signage serves as the secondary reference.

Use of the Athletics wordmarks meets the obligations of a secondary reference; therefore, the use of combined Athletics marks—those that include both the spirit mark and any of the Athletics wordmarks—is strongly encouraged.

• The spirit mark is both a registered trademark and a registered copyright of the university.
• All versions of the spirit mark must include the ® symbol. Exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis and are most typically considered for large-scale environmental applications (e.g., football field, basketball court, building signage).
• The Athletics wordmarks are not registered with the USPTO but are still monitored and protected by placing a “â„¢” on each usage.
• Even though the spirit mark is registered as both a trademark and a copyright, there still can be confusion in the marketplace with other bull-like logos and symbols. To minimize this and avoid potential legal action from outside entities, it is strongly recommended that whenever possible a secondary reference to the university be included.

When applying institutional trademarks to apparel, merchandise and other physical items and spaces, it is important to work closely with UB’s Trademarks and Licensing (TML) Office. Adhering to the following process will ensure the fastest response and most effective results.

1. Select a licensed vendor. Licensed vendors must be used for all orders. Work closely with the licensed vendor to choose the best product and imprint application to meet your budget requirements. They are also the only entity that can provide the required proof to represent final product production. The licensed vendor list is updated frequently throughout the year for new or changes to licensees.

2. Review your design to determine your next step.

• If your design does not follow all current brand standards, please submit your request along with a business case explaining why to the primary athletics contact listed below. They will review your request and, if in agreement, will submit the request and justification to ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Communications for consideration. Upon approval from ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Communications, you may move to step 4.
• If the item includes co-branding between UB and another entity, additional information is required. See the co-branding section below for more information. If your design is co-branded, please submit to the primary athletics contact listed below. They will review and confirm the item and design comply with any sponsorship or other formal agreements. Once you have confirmation that the item and design are in compliance with any contractual agreements, move on to step 4.
• If your design is a simple logo that was downloaded from the official Box folder, you may proceed to step 4. However, if you have any questions or concerns regarding your submission, you may move to step 3* and ask for a pre-approval review. Pre-approval reviews are optional and are helpful to minimize back and forth between the vendor and the TML team.

3. Submit request for pre-review (optional)*. Provide the proposed artwork to the TML office by emailing UBTrademarks@buffalo.edu. The vendor with whom you are working with can create the proof on your behalf. This artwork must show the item purchased, including the blank color, design placement, imprint size and colors within the design itself. In your email please also include the following information: your name and contact info; the department you are affiliated with; the quantity being ordered; the purpose of the order (e.g., giveaway, uniforms, fundraising, or selling at cost or for a profit); who is paying for the order/funding source; and any deadlines. You will receive a response no later than two business days from the time of your submission. In most cases, the TML team will respond the same day.

Once the TML team reviews your order, they may have additional questions or require adjustments to the original design, which could delay production. If changes are requested, the vendor must make those changes, and you must resubmit an adjusted proof.

*Note: If you are confident that the design meets all brand standards, you may skip step 3 and ask your vendor to submit artwork directly through Brand Manager (see step 4). If changes are required, the artwork will be disapproved and sent back to the vendor to correct and resubmit. Our goal is to minimize back and forth with the vendors through Brand Manager, so if you have any doubt about artwork, please follow step 3 for trademarks pre-review.

4. Submit for final approval. Ask your licensed vendor to submit the artwork for approval through Brand Manager. This is an artwork approval system provided by our licensing agent, CLC. Your licensed vendor knows how to use this system.

Your vendor needs to include the following detailed information in the comments section of the submission: your name and contact info; the department you are affiliated with; the quantity being ordered; the purpose of the order (e.g., giveaway, uniforms, fundraising, or selling at cost or for a profit); who is paying for the order/funding source; and any deadlines. Please provide this information to the vendor and remind them to include it with the artwork submission.

When approval is granted in Brand Manager, the vendor is notified immediately, and the trademarks team will send you a copy of approval via email for your records.

A formal written agreement must be in place to legitimize the co-branding relationship and hierarchy. The agreement—usually taking the form of a sponsorship—should explicitly detail what intellectual property (IP) the third party has purchased the rights to use, for how long, and in what capacity the IP may be used.

To request approval for the use of UB trademarks with third-party logos, please provide the following information when you submit the TML request for approval, as outlined in step 3 above:

1. A fully executed agreement, signed by both parties, that details the IP the entity is allowed to use. Typically this is the combined Buffalo wordmark in either the horizontal or vertical orientation.
2. Items, products and/or events UB and the partner have agreed to support or participate in.
3. Confirmation that the university has permission to use the logos and marks of the third party. 
   • If the agreement requires the third party to review and sign off on all uses of their marks, TML will require written approval of artwork via email.
4. Disclaimer statement that explains the relationship, which must use “UB Athletics” as the partnering university entity. The most commonly used phrasing is “Proud Partner of UB Athletics.”

1. Is the appropriate primary Athletics contact aware of this request?
   • If you are requesting an exception to any of the brand standards or licensing requirements, the request must come from an approved primary Athletics contact.
2. Did you use a licensed vendor?
3. Did you use allowable marks?
   • If you are not leveraging a combined Athletics mark, use a secondary reference.
   • Do not create new lockups; instead, use a previously created combined wordmark.
4. Did you use proper colors?
   • Are the eyes and other cutout portions in the spirit mark an appropriate color?
5. Do the logos include registration symbols?
6. Did you observe proper clear space?
7. For co-branding, is there a signed agreement with a third party? Do we have permission to use the third party’s marks? Did you include a disclaimer statement that explains the relationship between UB Athletics and the vendor?
   

You must use a licensed vendor when leveraging university trademarks to produce merchandise and other material items. To find a vendor, visit the Find a Vendor page on UB’s Identity and Brand website.

If you have a vendor who is interested in becoming licensed, you may refer them to this page. To become licensed with the university, the vendor must apply through . Please be aware that becoming licensed with the university is a multistep process and is not guaranteed. There are fees and requirements for insurance and a membership to the Fair Labor Association. Additionally, a vendor must submit samples for review and participate in an interview with the UB Trademarks team. The full process to receive license approval can take several weeks or even months.

You must use a UB collegiate licensed vendor to produce branded products. However, there are instances when a product is so uncommon or infrequently purchased that a collegiate licensed vendor is not available. In these rare cases, a single-order license can be issued. Please review the five conditions that are required for a single-order license.

For sponsorship agreements that include co-branding, the sponsor must use a licensed vendor.

When partnering (but not as part of sponsorship agreement) with a major brand where co-branding may be desired, the partner may require using a vendor who is not licensed with the university. Please contact UBTrademarks@buffalo.edu to discuss the possibility of a special, single-use promotional license. If the situation warrants, your vendor will be given a special link to a CLC form they must complete. The vendor will then work with CLC to fully execute a premium license agreement, pay a fee to CLC and then submit artwork. Note that single-use promotional licenses are extremely rare. Please contact UBTrademarks@buffalo.edu to discuss your particular circumstances.

Sponsorships and Promotions

Sean Ferrera
Deputy Athletic Director for External Relations
716-645-6761
sferrera@buffalo.edu

Main email: UBTrademarks@buffalo.edu

This email address is monitored by multiple staff members during traditional business days and hours. This is the best way to reach the trademarks team.

Since uniforms may also need to meet certain sport-specific or regulatory standards, and due to the unique nature of uniforms, some exceptions to brand standards (such as those regarding clear space, secondary references, and the registration symbols) may be granted. Exception requests to alter the logos in any way, including color modifications, will not be granted. Uniforms can only be produced by a licensed vendor. Officially issued uniforms for student athletes are exempt from royalties.

“Athletics-issued gear” is apparel and other supplies given to coaches, athletes, and Athletics staff to wear during athletic contests and when traveling to athletic contests, or while performing official duties as representatives of the Athletics Department.

Athletics-issued gear may allow the spirit mark to appear without a secondary references; however, all other brand standards apply, such as using a licensed vendor, appropriate colors, clear space and registration symbols.

Since Athletics-issued gear is worn or used frequently outside of on-campus events, it is strongly encouraged to include a secondary reference. This stipulation is particularly important given that the commercialization of name, image, and likeness (NIL) for student-athletes is permitted at UB.

Student-athletes are required to comply with all brand standards when co-branding with the university, without exception. If athletics-issued apparel is not brand compliant, student-athletes cannot wear it during NIL activities.

This type of gear is typically exempt from royalties; however, if the design is such that it could conceivably be sold in retail (e.g., Bulls Alumni Arena store) then the current university royalty rate will be applied.

Keep in mind the following when designing Athletics-issued gear:

• Work with a licensed vendor.
• Do not alter marks or adjust colors in any way.
• Include appropriate registration marks, which must be the same color as the mark and not changed to blend into the item (thus rendering the registration marks imperceptible).
• Appropriate clear space must be maintained around the marks.
• Any official marks cannot be combined with other elements, such as words, symbols or numbers, to create what could be perceived as a new logo, even if the design is aesthetically pleasing. In some cases, additional clear space beyond the minimum requirement may be necessary.
• It is permissible to produce Athletics-issued gear that includes an inspirational quote or slogan for the season. However, the phrase must be separate from university marks on a different area of the apparel item. For example, the ideal design would include the team’s approved logo on the front and the phrase on the back or sleeve.

Athletics-issued gear cannot be used for giveaways or sold in the team shop or online unless it meets all brand standards including use of a secondary reference.

If no licensed equipment vendor exists, please submit thorough documentation when pursuing approval to use an unlicensed vendor.

When designing equipment, which is generally considered royalty exempt, continue to follow all brand standards whenever practical. A secondary reference for equipment that remains on campus is not necessary as the campus itself serves as such, and exceptions for removing registration marks may be considered. There also may be flexibility with clear space guidelines due to limited imprint areas on some specialized equipment.

Licensed vendors are not required for environmental applications; however, TML review is necessary. Changes to trademarks are not allowed, but registration symbols may be removed or significantly minimized on a case-by-case basis. See university environmental guidelines for additional information.

Many sponsorship agreements stipulate creating co-branded merchandise between the third-party entity and UB Athletics. This practice is permitted if it is clearly outlined in a formal written agreement. Please see the to understand the requirements and limitations when using UB marks.

As noted previously, the sponsorship agreement must explicitly detail what intellectual property (IP) the third party has purchased the rights to use, for how long, and in what capacity they may be used.

A sponsor may never use the spirit mark alone. Typically, sponsors leverage a version of the combined Athletics mark (i.e., the spirit mark and one of the Athletics word marks).

Co-branding also requires a disclaimer statement that explains the relationship to the university. This disclaimer must include “UB Athletics” so the consumer knows that the sponsorship is with the Athletics Department and not the university as a whole. The most commonly used phrasing is “Proud Partner of UB Athletics.”

Other considerations include using the proper color and clear space between UB's marks. In all instances, these items are royalty bearing.

When creating giveaways for games and unique promotional products for special events, you must abide by all brand standards including proper color, clear space and use of registration marks. If not customized, these items could be sold in retail and are royalty bearing. If the item is customized in such a way that a retailer could not realistically sell them the item (e.g., using Summer 2025 or Compliments of UB Athletics), it is exempt from royalties.

Occasionally, a university-sponsored program may distribute items, which include the program name along with its sponsors. Since the main purpose of the item is to promote and bring awareness to the university program, not to the sponsors, this would also be royalty exempt. This is different from sponsored products in which one of the main reasons a sponsor chooses to co-brand with the university might be to distribute a branded, promotional item to the university community in order to primarily promote the sponsor.

Items for retail must follow all brand standards as presented within UB’s brand guidelines. Notably, this includes but is not limited to the use of a licensed vendor, proper colors, clear space and registration symbols. These items are royalty bearing.

See this FAQ section about trademarks and royalties.

A licensed vendor list can be found here.

The trademarks approval form is here.

Yes, see the prohibited list here.

Please review the Trademarks and Licensing FAQ page and Definitions page.

Reach out anytime to UBTrademarks@buffalo.edu.

Review the between ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ Communications and Athletics regarding this agreement. 

Questions on the MOU?

Contact Kathleen Manne, kireland@buffalo.edu, or Laurie Barnum, lbarnum@buffalo.edu.