Licensing and Trademark Rules
University Brand and Marketing ensures UCF trademarks only appear on quality products with minimal risk to the university and consumers. All trademark usage on promotional or retail products requires approval from University Brand and Marketing.
What is considered a trademark?
Any mark, logo, symbol, nickname, letter(s), word(s), color, sound, or combination of these that indicates to the public an affiliation with/sponsorship by UCF and/or UCF as the source of the goods/services. The university’s rights, whether registered (signature, seal, slogans, logos and other marks) or unregistered are protected by law.
Who can use UCF trademarks for authorized UCF purposes without prior approval from University Brand and Marketing?
- UCF Board of Trustees
- UCF colleges, departments and units
- UCF faculty and staff for official university-related business
All of the above shall hereafter be referred to as “authorized UCF trademark users.” All others not listed in the section above must secure permission in writing from University Brand and Marketing prior to using UCF trademarks. This includes, but is not limited to, UCF students and student clubs and/or student organizations registered through the Office of Student Involvement, along with UCF alumni.
Colleges, Departments and Units
Promotional products produced by colleges, departments and units serve as an extension of the UCF brand and contribute to the way we’re perceived by students, employees, alumni and the community.
By selecting promotional products that align with the UCF brand standards, colleges, departments and units can help create a cohesive, professional and recognizable image that strengthens school pride, enhances visibility and communicates a unified identity across all audiences.
Some important notes:
- Colleges, departments and units are encouraged to use their unit identity lockup (UIL) on promotional items for their area.
- Designs using trademarks from other entities, or derivatives of those marks, will not be approved without written permission from the trademark holder.
- Citronaut is reserved for use by UCF Athletics and the Office of the President.
FINDING A LICENSED VENDOR
University licensees are the only vendors authorized to produce products using UCF trademarks. Find approved licensees at clc.com/license-search — where you choose the product you’re interested in, then select UCF under the “pick a school” dropdown to identify licensees capable of producing that product.
A complete list of all current licensed vendors can be provided upon request.
How to order a product:
- Select a licensed vendor from the approved list.
- Collaborate with the licensee on your design.
- Once you place your order, the licensee submits the artwork to University Brand and Marketing for review.
- University Brand and Marketing works directly with the licensee to approve the design or request changes. For extensive revisions, University Brand and Marketing contacts you directly to assist in finalizing the design.
To ensure timely delivery of promotional products, you should initiate the order at least one month in advance of when the product is needed.
Registered Student Organizations (RSOs)
RSOs are not considered to be sponsored entities of UCF, so they are not authorized to use any university trademarks or logos.
BRANDING STANDARDS
- Designs that mimic UCF logos or trademarked elements, or that create the impression of an official UCF mark, are prohibited.
- RSOs may only use “UCF” or “University of Central Florida” after their organization name, preceded by “at” or “@”, as in “Student Organization Name at UCF.”
- RSOs may not use any university logos or trademarks.
- Use of the language “UCF” or “University of Central Florida,” or any university motto, tagline or slogan is required to be produced by one of UCF’s officially licensed companies.
- If an RSO seeks to use Knightro in any of their promotional items, they must obtain approval through University Brand and Marketing, and UCF Athletics. First review the Knightro use rules.
- Designs utilizing trademarks from other entities, or derivatives of those marks, will not be approved without written permission from the trademark holder.
- Inappropriate language or references to drugs, alcohol, gambling or firearms are not permitted on designs.
Keep in Mind
Unregistered student organizations are not only prohibited from using UCF logos or trademarked elements in their designs, but they also cannot use “UCF,” “University of Central Florida” or any university motto, tagline or slogan in their organization’s name.
UCF Merchandise
Permission to produce or sell clothing or other merchandise that incorporates UCF’s name, trademarks or logos must be secured in advance in writing from each of the following departments:
- University trademarks: University Brand and Marketing
- UCF Athletics trademarks: University Brand and Marketing, and UCF Athletics
UCF retains all rights to all articles of clothing and other merchandise that represent or promote the university or a unit of the university. Only UCF-approved vendors can produce or sell such merchandise. Reach out to University Brand and Marketing for the current list of approved merchandise vendors.
Individuals and companies producing or selling UCF clothing or merchandise without permission are subject to prosecution.
Use of UCF Trademarks by Outside Parties
All items produced for sale using UCF trademarks are subject to the royalty payment requirements as set forth in approved licensing agreements.
Outside parties may only use UCF trademarks if prior written approval has been obtained from University Brand and Marketing, and the Office of the General Counsel.
It is the responsibility of each authorized UCF employee contracting with vendors, partners or freelancers to inform them of the university’s brand standards and to make certain that the standards are applied to the materials being produced.
Mascot Use Guidelines
Knightro
Knightro is copyrighted and licensed by UCF and the University of Central Florida Athletics Association (UCFAA). Use or depictions of Knightro are coordinated through University Brand and Marketing, and UCFAA. UCFAA requires that all individuals and organizations, both internal and external, obtain approval prior to producing any images or products that will display Knightro. Use of Knightro without written authorization may be considered “counterfeit” and subject to legal remedies.
Knightro’s appearance must be unaltered* and cannot be used in the promotion of alcohol, tobacco, illegal or “recreational” drug products, political campaigns or political causes, profanity, or racist, sexist, hateful or demeaning language or sexual acts. Incorporation of trademarks or copyrights not owned by UCF is not permitted unless written permission for such use is obtained from the mark or copyright owner.
UCFAA: May modify Knightro’s appearance to reflect specific sports or events for internal purposes. All modifications must be approved by University Brand and Marketing, and UCFAA.
UCF internal academic departments: Must obtain approval from University Brand and Marketing and UCFAA prior to producing any images or products that will display Knightro imagery or the use of any UCF Athletics trademarks.
Endorsements: Knightro’s name, image and likeness (NIL) may not be used by any business, organization or entity — on- or off-campus — without prior written approval from UCFAA. This includes, but is not limited to, branded content, advertisements, sponsored social posts and fundraising materials. Unauthorized use is strictly prohibited.
The UCF stacked logo must be removed from Knightro’s chest and/or shield prior to production unless prior written approval is obtained.
KNIGHTRO FAQs
Can I use Knightro to promote my business or organization?
The use of Knightro is restricted to UCFAA and those who obtain prior approval.
Can I change Knightro’s appearance to promote my business or organization?
Knightro’s physical appearance cannot be changed in any way. This includes, but is not limited to, his armor, head/helmet and body — nor can Knightro wear any item that alters his physical appearance.
What can I add to Knightro’s appearance to promote my business or organization?
Either in a photoshoot or in a new illustration, Knightro can hold, point to or otherwise highlight items that support your business or organization with written UCFAA approval.
My business is a current partner of UCFAA. Do I need written approval if I want to use Knightro?
Yes, written approval must be obtained prior to producing any images or products that will display Knightro.
CITRONAUT
Citronaut is reserved for use by UCF Athletics and the Office of the President.
Other Mascots
Vincent “Vinnie” the Vulture, Pegasus, Knugget and any other UCF legacy mascot or character is restricted to special use by the Office of the President.
Logo Creation Rules
These rules apply to all UCF entities — including colleges, departments, centers, institutes, programs, initiatives, events and student-facing units — and to any agency or vendor producing work on their behalf.
Any logo outside of UCF’s core brand marks weakens recognition and brand equity. A unit that markets under its own special logo markets against UCF.
Units must express their identity through brand typography, color, photography and naming — not a separate mark.
Units with a documented need serving an external audience may request a unit identity lockup (UIL): the unit name locked to the university mark, designed and issued by University Brand and Marketing. A UIL is the only approved way for a unit to carry its own name in a mark.
Refer to the unit identity lockups portion of our logo and identity section for UIL eligibility and requests.
pROHIBITED
Do not create, commission, purchase or use:
- Logos, logotypes or custom wordmarks for a college, department, center, institute, program, initiative, lab, event or campaign
- Icons, emblems, badges, crests, monograms or shields representing a unit
- Modified, redrawn, recolored or reoriented versions of the pegasus tab, the university seal or UCF Athletics marks
- Marks combining UCF elements with unit-specific artwork
- Mascots or characters
- Marks generated by AI (also reference our AI guidelines)
- Logos supplied by a vendor, conference, sponsor or partner that incorporate UCF assets without approval
- Self-made lockups — a UIL is only valid when designed and issued by University Brand and Marketing
Anniversary marks, event identities and campaign lockups are also covered by these rules.
Narrow exemptions
An independent mark may be considered only when the unit meets all of the following criteria:
- It serves an external audience that does not primarily identify with UCF.
- It has a documented business reason — revenue generation, legal separation, or a partnership or funding agreement that requires distinct identity.
- It will operate for three or more years.
- The primary brand system has been tested and demonstrably fails the need.
Preference, internal pride, competitive feeling among units, a new director or a desire to “look different” are not qualifying reasons to create a UIL.
Discuss exceptions with University Brand and Marketing. Any lockup added to the system requires prior approval from University Brand and Marketing, and the Office of the President.
Social Media Rules
Content Coming Soon
Badges and rankings guidelines
Keep badges and rankings accurate and compliant. Audit them at least annually, verify licenses and attribution, and follow each organization’s rules for how, and how long, badges and rankings can be used. Avoid extrapolating or creating a ranking the source does not publish. Attribute rankings when referencing them in marketing and communications materials, either in-line or in the footer.
Put rankings in context. Look for meaningful ways to frame ranking data while staying true to the source data, such as UCF’s position among peers (state, regional, national or global), our percentile or ranking improvements over time.
Show why we earned it. Use the ranking’s methodology to illustrate the strengths behind the result. Whenever possible, support the ranking with the outcomes, research, value or other proof that explains why UCF was recognized.
For more information or specific questions, contact University Brand and Marketing.
AI Rules
These rules apply to all UCF marketing and communications efforts across all university entities, plus agencies, freelancers and contractors.
UCF’s brand depends on real people, real places and real outcomes. Audiences who find one fabricated element discount everything else. These rules protect our authenticity.
Before using AI to help facilitate marketing or communications work, direct all questions to University Brand and Marketing.
Core Rules
AI does not produce finished work. AI may assist upstream — research, outlines, first drafts, internal comps or rough copyediting. A human writes, designs and finishes anything carrying UCF’s name.
No wholesale image generation. Do not generate imagery for publication. If you lack the asset, you photograph or record it, license it or commission it.
Never touch the brand marks. Do not generate, redraw or alter logos, wordmarks, UCF Athletics marks or the seal. Use approved files from the brand portal, unaltered.
Every deliverable has a named human owner. That person answers for the work as if they produced every word or pixel. AI is not a defense for an error.
Writing
Acceptable
- Interview prep
- Outlines and structure ideas
- Rough first drafts that you will substantially rewrite
- Thought starters for alternative headlines or email subject lines
- Ideas for trimming copy to fit within a word count
- Rough drafts of alt text
- Transcript drafts that you thoroughly review for accuracy
Prohibited
- Quotes or testimonials attributed to a real person
- Student, alumni, faculty or donor stories
- Bylined content where the words are not substantially the author’s own
- Crisis or sensitive-issue communications
- Statements from leadership
- Final copy for marketing or communications materials
Brand Voice
- Give every AI-assisted draft a thorough, critical review adhering to UCF’s brand voice guidelines. Asking AI to review your draft by inputting the UCF brand guidelines is not enough.
- AI cannot supply UCF specifics. Proof points, figures and stories come from human research or reporting. AI may invent a plausible statistic without flagging it.
- Verify every name, title, date, figure, ranking and detail with credible, legitimate UCF sources.
- AI tends to overwrite, use fluffy language and repeat sentence structure. Be careful to avoid repetition and ensure each sentence adds value, not just length.
Design and Imagery
Acceptable
- Internal mood boards and concept exploration that stays within the working team
- Layout and composition thought starters
- Production work, reviewed by a human, on assets UCF owns or has licensed — background extension for reformatting, object removal, masking, cutouts, upscaling, color correction and minor retouching
- Placeholder content, clearly marked “for placement only” (FPO)
- Non-representational patterns and textures
PROHIBITED
- Any generated image intended for publication
- AI-generated people
- Campus scenes, buildings, events, classrooms, labs, facilities or UCF Athletics
- AI-generated headshots, portraits or group photos
- Voice cloning or synthetic narration
- Altering documentary or photojournalistic images beyond color correction or crop
- AI-generated letterforms in place of brand typefaces
- Style filters mimicking a named living artist or identifiable studio
Retouching standard
AI may change how something looks. It must not attempt to change what happened. Removing a trash can from a photo is retouching. Adding students who were not there is fabrication.
Copyright
AI-only output cannot be copyrighted. United States law requires human authorship. UCF cannot own or defend material generated without meaningful human creative work. Work worth protecting must be made by a person.
You are liable for what you publish. AI models reproduce protected compositions, styles and phrasing. “The model generated it” is not a defense.
Do not input material UCF does not own. No licensed stock, licensed typefaces, agency work, other institutions’ or brands’ assets, or third-party text you have been asked to rewrite.
Do not prompt toward others’ IP. No “in the style of” a living artist, no named-brand aesthetics, no recognizable characters or franchises, no mimicry of another institution’s campaign.
Do not launder copy. Rewording someone else’s writing through AI produces a derivative work, not original content.
Protect UCF material. Do not input unreleased campaign work, unannounced news, student records (FERPA), personnel or donor data, unpublished research or anything under NDA. Use only university-approved tools with an enterprise agreement. Consumer accounts are prohibited for UCF work.
Get people’s permission. Any person shown in UCF work needs a signed release covering the actual use. Using AI does not create a shortcut around talent and model releases.
Agencies, Freelancers, and Contractors
- Must disclose AI use in their process, in writing, before work begins on UCF materials.
- Must warrant that delivered work is original human authorship, does not infringe third-party rights and contains no AI-generated imagery or copy.
- Must deliver working files — layered art, raw footage, source documents, etc.
- Must confirm no UCF material was entered into tools that were not approved.
Accessibility Requirements
Accessibility is a core requirement throughout the life of every project, including planning, writing and design all the way through development, review, publication and maintenance. Every digital communication and experience UCF makes available — from a presentation slide to a webpage — must provide people with disabilities equitable access to the same information and functionality.
This includes people who navigate with a keyboard, use screen readers, rely on captions or audio description, or need sufficient color contrast. Building accessibility in from the outset supports independent participation and often makes content clearer and easier for everyone to use.
Digital accessibility is a shared institutional responsibility. Everyone who creates, procures, reviews, manages or publishes UCF digital content or technology is responsible for addressing accessibility within their role, maintaining it as content changes and seeking support when needed.
UCF has adopted WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the accessibility standard for information and communication technology under UCF Policy 2-006.1. Under the Department of Justice’s ADA Title II rule for web content and mobile apps, UCF’s current federal compliance date is April 26, 2027. That date is a compliance deadline, not a starting point. UCF’s policy and longstanding obligations to provide equal access already apply.
Support is available now. You can visit Accessibility at UCF for university-wide guidance, role-based resources, services and training.
For hands-on support, the UCF Digital Accessibility Lab provides content evaluations, remediation, one-on-one consultations and scheduled open lab hours. You can submit requests through the lab’s online service forms. If you can’t access a form or have a general question, you can email digitalaccessibility@ucf.edu. Visit the lab’s website for current service options and schedules.
Questions about ADA compliance, interpretation of UCF policy or policy exceptions should be directed to UCF’s ADA coordinator in the Office of Nondiscrimination and Accommodations Compliance.
PDFs MUST BE ACCESSIBLE
An accessible source document does not automatically produce an accessible PDF. When you need a PDF, start with a well-structured source document, use an export method that preserves accessibility information, then verify the finished PDF with both automated and manual checks. Do not use “print to PDF,” which can discard the document structure needed by assistive technologies.
Check all applicable requirements, including tag structure and reading order, document title and language, meaningful links, sufficient color contrast and appropriate image treatment. Informative images require appropriate text alternatives — mark decorative images as artifacts. When feasible, publish content as accessible HTML or in another accessible format. Consult UCF’s accessible PDFs guide for detailed guidance or, for complex documents, request assistance from the Digital Accessibility Lab.
QUESTIONS ABOUT BRAND GOVERNANCE?
Reach out to University Brand and Marketing as early as possible.