Stanford
Trademark Use & Licensing

Athletic Sponsorship Guidelines

Guidelines for Use of Stanford’s Name and Emblems by Athletics Sponsors

EFFECTIVE DATE: JANUARY 1, 2013

Guidelines

Sponsors may only use Stanford’s name and other trademarks in connection with promotional merchandise, in store displays, and other activities permitted by these Guidelines. All designs must be executed in a manner consistent with Stanford's Identity Guide. For additional information, please contact Trademark Licensing at trademarks_licensing@stanford.edu.

Promotional Merchandise Design Guidelines

  1. Sponsors may distribute merchandise items listed on the pre-approved premium list ("Merchandise"). Items may be added to the list with approval by Trademark Licensing. Permission may also be granted to distribute promotional items not included on the pre-approved premium list on a one-time basis in special circumstances with approval by Trademark Licensing.
     
  2. All Merchandise which includes Stanford's name, emblems or any logo created by Stanford's Department of Athletics ("Athletics") and approved by Trademark Licensing for use by Sponsors at various levels of sponsorship (“Athletics Sponsorship Logos”) will:
    1. Be manufactured only by a vendor licensed by Stanford,
    2. Go through Stanford's standard artwork review and Trademark Licensing approval process,
    3. Be subject to Stanford's trademark licensing royalty,
    4. Follow Stanford’s Design Guidelines for Stanford’s name and emblems, including design and color, and
    5. Include visible trademark designations for each Stanford trademark.
  3. If both the Sponsor's name/logo and any Stanford name, emblem, or Athletics Sponsorship Logos are included on the Merchandise:
    1. Merchandise must include the statement "Proud Sponsor of Stanford Athletics" near any Sponsor logo/name,
    2. Sponsor’s name/logo will be less prominent than Stanford's name/logo, and
    3. The Sponsor's name/logo will be placed on a different side of the Merchandise item from the Athletics Sponsorship Logo whenever practical.

Distribution Guidelines

  1. Merchandise may be distributed only in Athletics venues (such as Stanford Stadium, Maples Pavilion, and Sunken Diamond) and in the Athletics Fan Fest area. Merchandise distributed in Athletics venues in which Stanford Bookstore has a sales presence may not be of a nature that competes with merchandise sold by the Bookstore in that particular venue.
     
  2. In order to distribute products which compete with Stanford Bookstore inventory within an Athletics venue, approval by Athletics and Trademark Licensing must be secured. Requests will be evaluated based on:
    1. Level of sponsorship,
    2. Type and quantity of Merchandise,
    3.  Process  and location of distribution,
    4. Contribution to awareness of Stanford's athletics programs, and
    5.  Potential to cannibalize bookstore sales.
     

  3. There will be no limit on the number of items distributed at Fan Fest; however, Sponsors will produce only enough Merchandise to satisfy Fan Fest attendee demand. A reasonable number of undistributed items may be distributed internally to Sponsor employees for personal use only. They may not be distributed by the Sponsor or their employees for promotional, commercial, or any other purposes, including use at Sponsor’s place of business or donation.

  4. There will be no limit to the number of items distributed within Athletics venues so long as the items do not compete with products sold by the Stanford Bookstore.

In-Store Activities

  1. During their sponsorship period, Sponsors may display small in-store decals or non-commercial signs which include the appropriate Athletic Sponsorship Logo so long as there is no actual or implied endorsement of Sponsor’s company, products, or services by Stanford or Stanford Athletics.

  2. Permission for other in-store use of Stanford’s name or emblems will be granted on an exception basis only with approval by Stanford’s Sr. Associate Athletic Director for External Relations and Assistant Vice President for Business Development.

  3. All in-store display signs which include Stanford’s name or emblems must go through Stanford’s standard artwork review and be approved by Trademark Licensing.

  4. Sponsors may not develop other store decoration, staff uniforms, or trade dress which incorporates Stanford’s logo or emblems as this can be considered/viewed as an implicit endorsement of sponsor’s company, products, or services by Stanford University or Stanford Athletics.

Advertisement, Promotion, and Endorsement

  1. Sponsors may use the appropriate Athletics Sponsorship Logo based on sponsorship level in advertising displayed in Stanford Athletics event programs, in sponsorship acknowledgements displayed on the Stanford Athletics scoreboard, on signage displayed at Fan Fest, and in advertising contained within the Stanford Athletics marketing channel so long as there is no actual or implied endorsement by Stanford or Stanford Athletics of the Sponsor's company, products or services.

  2. Except as otherwise specified in these guidelines, Sponsors may not use Stanford's name or emblems without approval by Athletics and either Trademark Licensing or University Communications. This applies to, but is not limited to, Sponsor’s press releases, advertising, social media, websites, and employee uniforms.

  3. Sponsorship activities may not imply that Stanford or Stanford Athletics is endorsing the Sponsor, the Sponsor’s business, or the Sponsor’s products.

  4. To the extent these guidelines permit Sponsors to use Stanford’s name or emblems on their corporate website, Sponsors will use the appropriate Athletics Sponsorship Logo after review and approval by Trademark Licensing and Athletics.

  5. Stanford will not endorse hotels, restaurants and other products or service providers in exchange for or as part of sponsorships or sponsorship packages. For example, Sponsors may be designated as the "Official [insert product category] Sponsor of Stanford Athletics" or “Official [insert product category] Partner of Stanford Athletics” but may not be designated as the "Official [insert product category] of Stanford Athletics or as the “Preferred [insert product category] of Stanford Athletics." An exception will be granted for Stanford Hospitals to be referred to as “Preferred Health Care Provider of Stanford Athletics." Whenever designating a sponsor as an Official or Preferred Partner, Stanford Athletics will add a disclaimer stating that Stanford Athletics does not endorse the sponsor’s products or services.

Pre-Approved Premiums

  1. T-Shirts
  2. Hats
  3. Mugs
  4. Cups
  5. Rally Beads
  6. Pennants
  7. Pom-Poms
  8. Rollabanners
  9. Sunglasses
  10. Foam Fingers/Tree
  11. Stadium Seat Cushions
  12. Bobblehead
  13. Retail Coupon
  14. Backpack / Bag
  15. Magnets
  16. Posters
  17. Calendar
  18. Mini Balls
  19. Cheer Card
  20. Blankets
  21. Scarves
  22. Lanyards
  23. Lunch Boxes
  24. Flags
  25. Window Clings
  26. Bumper Sticker
  27. Water Bottle
  28. Custom Beads
  29. Schedule Key Chains

Contact

For questions, please contact:

Trademark Licensing
trademarks_licensing@stanford.edu