The University of Arizona (Quietly) Drops Highly Mocked “UArizona” Branding

When famous musicians continuously rebrand by changing their names, everyone gets confused. Puff Diddy - PDiddyDaddy - whatever he goes by now - kept rebranding, and we all got mixed up.

Prince, the artist formerly known as Prince, then once again known as just Prince, gave fans and the media heartburn whenever they tried to invoke his name. No one was really sure how to refer to him.

I think Arizona's oldest university is experiencing a similar identity crisis. Fans, students, staff, and alumni all pause when referring to the University of Arizona, or the U of A, or UA, I mean, UArizona, or whatever they're calling themselves today.

If memory serves, the University of Arizona has changed its moniker approximately four times in the last decade. The name change includes rebranding the color scheme, fonts, websites, social media, and associated indicia.

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Quietly Dropping the Unpopular UName

Usually, rebranding is met with press releases and fanfare. Not this time.  The University of Arizona decided to return to its traditional roots, once again embracing its “U of A” branding.

Without explanation, the university is abandoning the wildly unpopular “UArizona” moniker they introduced in 2019.

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This change was subtly announced in the university’s written style guide. The guide states, "Please note: As of 7/1/24, “UArizona” is officially retired and should no longer be used except in pre-existing instances or social media handles."

Publicly Mocking the UBrand

It's not unusual for a college or university to throw shade at its rival, and naturally, Arizona State University (ASU) made some jabs at the expense of the UArizona branding.

But things got worse. When the UArizona rebranding was initially rolled out, the announcement was met with widespread mockery, and even Saturday Night Live poked fun at the name, as this YouTube clip illustrates:

Going Back to the UA Roots

Many fans and alumni didn't think the UArizona name resonated well. Those in charge of the university's branding seemed to agree, and the name was dropped - quietly.

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University of Arizona fans, and especially the alumni, are just glad the classic name has been restored.

Sources: Fox10 Phoenix | 12News | University of Arizona | YouTube: Saturday Night Live