The Brand of the
Cincinnati Bearcats

The Cincinnati Athletics brand represents the collective spirit, traditions, and achievements of our university's athletics programs and student-athletes.

Our Community & Traditions

Cincinnati Athletics is driven by a fiercely passionate and loyal community of students, alumni, and fans. This collective spirit symbolizes the unwavering support and commitment that fuels our programs. Our brand embraces the rich history and traditions of the university, such as the march Down the Drive, the Bearcats Fight Song, and the iconic C-Paw.

The Cincinnati Athletics brand promotes competitiveness to create championship opportunities across a wide range of sports.

The Pinnacle of Opportunity: Our brand recognizes that representing the University of Cincinnati is the pinnacle of opportunities realized through sports: championships won, diplomas earned, leaders equipped and launched to impact the world.

What is a Brand Narrative?

A brand narrative is the strategic presentation of a brand's identity, values, and purpose in a narrative format. It is a way to communicate our unique story, engage our audience, and establish an emotional connection.

At Cincinnati, our brand consists of our people, culture, values, environment, and traditions. It is on display to recruits, student-athletes, and fans through countless mediums.

Keeping the Brand Strong

Why are guidelines necessary?

The most effective brands align their identity with their external communications and marketing strategies.

At Cincinnati, our guidelines provide coordinated alignment across all departments in how we express the brand externally while ensuring a clear and consistent brand internally, protecting our marks and intellectual property.

Official Color Palette

Consistent use of our official colors is vital to maintaining a strong, recognizable identity across all platforms.

Bearcats Red

HEX: #E00122
RGB: 224, 1, 34
CMYK: 0, 100, 81, 4
PMS: 186 C

Black

HEX: #000000
RGB: 0, 0, 0
CMYK: 0, 0, 0, 100
PMS: Process Black C

White

HEX: #FFFFFF
RGB: 255, 255, 255
CMYK: 0, 0, 0, 0
PMS: N/A

Logo Do's & Don'ts

Protecting the integrity of the C-Paw is everyone's responsibility.

  • ✓ DO: Maintain original proportions. Never stretch or squash the logo.
  • ✓ DO: Leave clear space around the logo.
  • ✗ DON'T: Alter official colors. Only use Bearcats Red, Black, or White.
  • ✗ DON'T: Tilt, rotate, or add drop shadows to official marks.

Brand Voice & Tone

How we speak is just as important as how we look. Our voice should always sound:

  • • Resilient & Gritty: We embrace hard work and determination.
  • • Confident, Not Arrogant: We celebrate victories with pride while respecting opponents.
  • • United: We use inclusive language ("we," "our") because we are One Team.

Brand Heritage

The history, marks, and traditions that forge our identity.

Color Heritage

Est. 1892

Adopted in 1892, Red and Black aren't simply choices on a palette—they are the visual embodiment of Cincinnati's unbreakable determination.

The Black Foundation represents our deep industrial roots and our intimidating presence on the national stage.

The Red Passion signifies the fire that drives our innovation and the fierce pride we carry into every battle.

The Mark

Evolution

1990

In 1990, the C-Paw was born—not just as a letter, but as a statement of forward motion.

The sharp, distinctive claw marks symbolize speed, aggression, and relentless progress, boldly carving through the "C" of our hometown. It’s an asymmetric design that opts for raw, unapologetic kinetic energy.

2005

Updated in 2005, the C-Paw underwent a refinement to sharpen its contours and standardize its proportions. This modernization cemented the mark as the undisputed primary logo of Cincinnati Athletics, projecting a unified, fierce, and professional identity for the modern era.

It marks our territory.

City & School

1819

A university founded in 1819—the exact same year as the city of Cincinnati—shares more than just geography. It shares a soul.

Juncta Juvant

We share the same motto with the city. "Strength in Unity" isn't a catchphrase; it's our architectural blueprint. The city builds the university, and the university builds the city.

Mascot vs. Animal

Binturong

The Mascot

While the term "Bearcat" first appeared in print in 1889 as a translation for the giant panda (xiong mao), our moniker was born on the gridiron. Inspired by a legendary chant honoring fullback Teddy Baehr, the Bearcat stands as a symbol of our fierce and unapologetic competitive spirit.

The Animal

The actual animal we claim is the Binturong. Unconventional, fiercely independent, and notoriously smelling like buttered popcorn, it perfectly embodies the relentless and completely original DNA of Cincinnati Athletics.

From Varsity to Bearcats

Before 1914, our teams were simply known as "Varsity." That changed during a grueling football game against the Kentucky Wildcats. A cheerleader named Norman "Pat" Lyon created a chant playing off our star fullback, Leonard "Teddy" Baehr:

"They may be Wildcats, but we have a Baehr-cat on our side!"

In 1919, mainstream press coverage, notably the Cincinnati Enquirer, helped cement "Bearcats" as the enduring identity of the university. A legendary identity was born.

Nov. 3, 1914

First official print appearance of "Cincinnati Bear Cats" in the University News following a 19-6 football victory over Kentucky.

Visual Evolution

1922: Earliest institutional logo.
1940s-80s: Aggressive mascot forms.
1990: The modern C-Paw mark is born.

Our Brand Ambassadors

The Brand Is You

TAKE ACTION

The brand does not belong to just one department or one sport—every coach, staffer, and athlete is a part of the brand as a whole.

Our Charge: We are all brand ambassadors charged with representing the Cincinnati brand wherever we go. It is our authentic and unique story to tell, allowing us to bring out the very best for Bearcats.

Download Brand Guidelines One-sheet PDF

Logo & Mark Downloads

Access official C-Paw files, typography, and color codes to ensure consistency across all internal and external materials.

Available formats: EPS, PNG, and JPG for print and digital use.

Questions or Requests?
If you want to learn more or have a request to use marks and logos, contact dan.phillips@uc.edu.