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University at Buffalo Athletics moving away from New York Branding, New York Bulls Initiative

By Matt Gritzmacher
UB Athletics

It's hitting the local media this morning that the UB Athletics Department will formally be moving away from the "New York" branding its used for the past few years.  The New York Bulls Initiative ('NYBI') was the primary marketing thrust of the department under former AD Danny White, who hoped to better convey UB's status as the largest and most comprehensive public university in the state to both current and potential fans, both locally and nationally.

The NYBI was much more than simply a branding and logo change, and in recent years the department has seen both off- and on-field success, but a region that had yet to warm up to UB Athletics as a worthwhile entertainment option largely dismissed the Initiative as misguided, including a notable local politician who more than once tweeted #HornsDown in reference to the department, a stark contrast to the behavior, both publicly and politically, of County Executives near Syracuse and Stony Brook.

Towards the end of White's time at Buffalo, he and President Satish Tripathi have evidently decided to move in another direction, though not one that ignores UB's prominent place within New York public universities:

"As the largest and most comprehensive public university in the State University of New York system, it is important that "New York" is still a part of our identity and reflects our athletic and academic strength, which is shown through our new tagline, 'New York's Public Powerhouse,' Director of Athletics Allen Greene said. "Our research also showed us that "Buffalo" has a very strong place in the hearts and spirit of the UB community.

Robby will have a nice surprise for our readers coming today from campus, and over the next few days we'll have commentary on the decision. For now, a brief roundup of the media reaction. Use the comments as a place to chat.

John Wawrow, AP: "Step aside, "New York."

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Step aside, "New York." The name "Buffalo" is reclaiming its place of prominence in the University at Buffalo Bulls sports teams' logo.

The change was announced Tuesday as part of a school-wide rebranding initiative, and ends a three-year experiment during which the Bulls attempted to market themselves as a "New York State" program.

Instead, "Buffalo" will be prominently featured on the Mid-American Conference school's jerseys. It replaces the wordy and sometimes confusing "State University of New York Buffalo" fixture, in which "New York" was emphasized.

Buffalo Business First: The new tagline will be "New York's Public Powerhouse":

UB isn't completely letting go of that initiative, though. Its new tagline, "New York's Public Powerhouse," showcases that UB's statewide system is still an important part of its identity.

The decision comes with the first update to the Bull logo since 2006, which, if you ask me, is pretty big news in its own right:

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