TAMPA, Fla. — USF announced Monday it was saying "sayonara" to the new logo it introduced just last September and going back to the familiar "Bull-U" logo.
- "Charging Bull" introduced as school celebrated designation as a preeminent university
- Logo already added to USF Health Morsani College of Medicine, main campus
- Removal of branding will continue through the summer
- More Hillsborough County stories
For the last several months USF has sported what looks like a "Charging Bull" logo. They made the change because they were getting ready for consolidation of the various USF campuses, as well as celebrating the school's designation as a preeminent university.
The logo was added to the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine in downtown Tampa. It also currently covers the Tampa campus’ branding, and it was supposed to be added to the main campus’ water tower and to USF St. Pete and Sarasota’s campuses, as well.
But officials decided on Monday not to go forward with those projects.
“We’re only 63 years old. Some of our peer universities in the state are hundreds of years old,” explained Joe Hice, USF Vice President of Marketing and Communications. “So the iconic Bull-U is one of those traditions and we heard loud and clear that the alumni did not like us messing with those traditions. So we listened and we made the change.”
The cost of going to the Charging Bull logo in September, plus the cost of backtracking to the iconic Bull-U logo used in Athletics, totaled $1 million, and it could have been even more expensive had the other projects gone forward.
The Charging Bull logo looked very similar to another well-known brand, Merrill Lynch.
USF officials dispelled rumors the change is due in part to a trademark infringement with that logo.
The process of removing the Charging Bull now begins and will continue throughout the summer.
Expect to see the Bull-U logo back in all its glory everywhere on campus soon.