Sport clubs are registered student organizations that compete in athletic contests against other university club teams regionally and nationally. Brand guidelines must be followed to ensure your club’s connection to Iowa is clear.
Use the approved naming convention
Sport clubs must use the approved naming convention in order to accurately convey association with the University of Iowa and to differentiate from intercollegiate athletic teams affiliated with the Department of Athletics.
“University of Iowa” or “Iowa” must appear before the official sport club name and the word ‘‘Club” must be used at the end. Follow this naming convention for all references of your club name.
Club naming examples:
- University of Iowa Baseball Club
- Iowa Baseball Club
- University of Iowa Cheerleading Club
- Iowa Cheerleading Club
Sport club identifiers and available trademarks
Each sport club has access to an official sport club badge and lockup to serve as primary club identifiers. The Tigerhawk and block IOWA logos are also available for club competition wear and in limited instances as outlined below. Follow all usage guidelines when using university trademarks and your official club identifiers.
Sport club badge
Sport club lockup
Tigerhawk
Block IOWA logo
Badge guidelines
Sport club badges must be used on all club competition gear and apparel to differentiate from intercollegiate athletics teams affiliated with the Department of Athletics. Badges should be used in accordance with guidelines and must not be altered or re-created.
Badges are available for and should only be used by sport clubs officially registered and in active status with Recreational Services.
Badge clear space
The amount of clear space around the badge must be no smaller than the height of the block IOWA logo. Don’t place text or any graphic element within this clear-space area.
Badge minimum size
In order to ensure legibility, the badge must not appear smaller than the following dimensions.
- Print: 1.25 inches wide
- Digital: 150 pixels wide
- Limited imprint area: 1.0 inch wide
Badge color usage
All gear and apparel items should use brand colors and be selected from black, gold, gray, and white product options.
Full-color
Use the full-color version of the badge on gold or white backgrounds in four-color applications.
Gold
Use the gold version of the badge on black or white backgrounds or in two-color applications.
Black (one-color)
The badge in black must be limited to one-color applications and displayed over a light background.
White (one-color)
The badge in white must be limited to one-color applications and displayed over a dark background.
Club lockups
Lockups serve as your official club logo for all marketing and promotional efforts and, if desired, can be used on your club competition wear. Unique logos should not be created to represent your club. Follow all logo guidelines and lockup usage guidelines.
Applying approved identifiers and trademarks
Club competition wear and equipment
Any item used by club members exclusively to represent the team on game days and during competition, including uniforms, equipment, warmups, and travel gear.
Club promotion and fan gear
Items that are available to club and nonclub members, including parents, staff, fans, and the general public that are available for sale, fundraising, or promotional use.
Print and digital communication
Items such as posters and signage that are used to promote sport club activities and events.
Club competition wear and equipment
Select the Tigerhawk, block IOWA logo, OR your sport club lockup to appear as the primary logo on your club competition wear and equipment. A sport club badge must appear in a secondary imprint area. For uniform sets with multiple pieces, prioritize placing the sport club badge on the primary apparel/uniform item that includes a university trademark.
Tigerhawk + badge
Block IOWA + badge
Club lockup + badge
Badge only
Club promotion and fan gear
Use your official club lockup and place the Tigerhawk OR sport club badge in a secondary imprint. If more prominent display of your club name is needed, you must use brand fonts and include a sport club badge.
Lockup + badge
Lockup + Tigerhawk
Lockup only
Brand fonts + badge
League or tradition components
Additional graphic elements may be required if your club is affiliated with a league or there is a universal tradition within your sport, for example, a Rugby crest.
Guidelines for additional graphics:
- Must be reviewed and approved by Recreational Services.
- Must appear in a third imprint area to maintain separation from university trademarks and your official club identifiers.
- Must not be used as a primary identifier.
- Must not incorporate, appropriate, or include an altered rendering of any university logo or trademark.
- Available for competition wear, club promotion, and fan gear.
Sample crest and separate imprint placement
Brand patterns
Sport clubs have access to official brand patterns, each inspired by unique aspects of our campus and culture. These patterns can add depth to designs and create texture in color blocking. Patterns can be cropped to fit a specific area. Don't place brand patterns inside university trademarks or club identifiers.
Ordering gear and apparel? Be sure to follow the licensing process.
Sport Clubs must follow University Licensing policy when ordering merchandise and partner with the Student Organization Business Office to follow appropriate purchasing policies. Products and designs must be approved by the UI Trademark Licensing Office. Take the following steps when ordering merchandise and apparel and allow two weeks for processing each request:
Licensing process
- Suppliers who manufacture and/or sell items imprinted with any trademark or element of the University of Iowa brand must be licensed by the university.
- You must purchase merchandise and apparel through an approved licensed vendor.
- There are more than 600 approved licensed vendors throughout the state and country. If you are unable to find product offerings from licensees that fulfill your needs, contact uilicensing@hawkeyelicensing.com.
- Work with your vendors and their provided templates to design your club gear and apparel. Be sure to follow all sport club brand guidelines to avoid delays during the review process.
- Whenever wordmarks, trademarks, logos, symbols, and/or elements associated with the University of Iowa visual identity appear on merchandise and apparel, they must be accompanied by the appropriate registration mark. That may be a ® or ™ symbol, depending on the legal registration status of the trademark displayed.
- Sport club badge files already include the ® registration symbol for you.
- Per all vendor contracts with the university, they must independently submit a proof of the item and imprint artwork to the University Trademark Licensing Office for approval.
- If needed, contact Recreational Services for additional guidance.
- Complete the Internal Application and Agreement form and submit your completed form to uilicensing@hawkeyelicensing.com
- If the application and artwork are approved, the UI Trademark Licensing Office will provide final agreement to you and notify the vendor that production can begin.
Print and digital communication
Print and digital communication are those items such as posters and signage that are used to promote sport club activities and events. University nonendorsement and accessibility statements must be used when promoting club events and activities.
Print/digital
Use your lockup or display your club name in plain text using brand fonts. Include the sport club badge on all promotional materials.
Web
Coordinate with Recreational Services and use the university SiteNow service to build and customize your club website. SiteNow templates ensure that branding and accessibility requirements are met.
Accessibility statement
All event and activity promotion by a registered student organization must include the university accessibility statement.
“Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact (insert: the sponsoring department or contact person) in advance at (insert: telephone number).”
Hosting a tournament?
Sport clubs that host competitions or tournaments may create a unique event illustration or logo for their tournament with approval from Recreational Services. Don't appropriate or incorporate any official university logo or logo element, and follow all guidelines for Unique Campus Graphics. Use your club or the Recreational Services lockup separately as directed to provide indication of the hosting group.
Guidelines and restrictions
The following examples are intended to provide visual demonstration of acceptable and unacceptable usage and to assist with commonly asked questions.
The sport club badge must be used in a secondary imprint area on your primary apparel/uniform items worn for competition.
Select products and artwork imprints that use our official black-and-gold color palette. Use brand fonts for player identification.
Use a club-specific photo or an approved University of Iowa avatar for your social media profile picture.
If a badge cannot be used due to limited space, use your club lockup alone on fan gear and apparel.
Don’t combine additional graphics or nonapproved trademarks.
Don’t add club names, include drop shadow, rotate, modify, or distort official badges.
Don’t display badges or the IOWA logo in any other off-brand color.
Don’t select gear or apparel that uses off-brand colors.
Don’t place identifiers or university trademarks over busy backgrounds and patterns.
Don’t create an identifier by combining your club name with the Tigerhawk.
Don’t place lockups inside shapes, add text or graphics, or embellish in any way.
Don’t combine the Tigerhawk with your lockup. Always maintain separation in a separate imprint area.
Policies and governance
Registered student organizations, including sport clubs and Greek letter organizations, must adhere to policies and procedures outlined and administered by the Office of the Dean of Students.
Dean of Students
The Office of the Dean of Students administers policies and procedures for student organizations in accordance with the university and applicable laws.
Operations Manual
The University of Iowa Operations Manual establishes policy for the governance and regulation of student organizations.