UCLA Reclaims Control of Its Logo, Ending Decades-Old Licensing Deal

UCLA has terminated a more-than-60-year agreement that gave Associated Students UCLA control over the university’s branding and transferred those rights to associate vice chancellor for business and finance solutions Beau Jimmerson. Chancellor Julio Frenk ordered the change after an audit highlighted the student group's over $40 million debt to the campus and irregularities in royalty reporting. The audit showed the student organization generated roughly $3.8 million in licensing revenue for the 2024 fiscal year, of which $1.1 million was paid to the athletics department.

The university argues that reclaiming the trademarks will allow it to better manage merchandise sales and address a chronic shortfall in the athletics budget. Critics had previously noted that UCLA’s branding earnings lag behind peer institutions. The move is expected to provide a new revenue stream that could help offset the athletics department’s multi-year deficits.