Some Signs In Storrs Point Toward UCONN ... But It's Really UConn

STORRS, CT — Though some signs certainly capitalize on marketing opportunities, the correct usage of the University of Connecticut abbreviation is ...

... drumroll please ...

... UConn.

It's not UCONN and certainly not — gasp — U-Conn .... it's UConn, said Tom Breen, the university's director of news and editorial communications, who also happens to be a graduate of UConn.

Breen said he decided to take to Twitter Tuesday to clarify the matter and an accompanying story was posted on the UConn Today site. He said it is arguably THE ... oops, the ... hot button issue.

"I don't like to use hyperbole, but this is definitely the most important issue for humanity ... there is nothing more important at the moment," Breen said with a sort-of straight face.

He did acknowledge people have become "hot" about the topic in social media circles on a seemingly constant basis.

"In all seriousness, it's a huge deal, because it's important to get things right," Breen said. "In the business of writing, it can absolutely drive you up the wall."

Wait ... isn't that sign at the south campus entrance in all caps? And what about the jerseys for nearly every sport? Breen said he'd get to that after a little history lesson.

UConn was founded in 1881 as the Storrs Agricultural School and the name was prominent until 1899, when it became Connecticut Agricultural College. The school was renamed Connecticut State College in 1933 when it began awarding Bachelor of Arts degrees, Breen said.

On May 26, 1939, the Connecticut General Assembly approved a bill officially changing the school's name to the University of Connecticut.

That evolved into the use of UConn around campus (the then-postal code in the state was Conn) and the Husky was adopted as the mascot as a play on words with the Canadian Yukon Territory as the inspiration, Breen said.

About a decade ago, a specialized font was then created for logo purposes, making UConn the marketing trademark. OK, it was in 2013, when Nike swooshed in to become the official uniform supplier and it became a major rebranding effort for the university. Breen admits sports on national television is important for exposure.

Now ... what about those caps on signs and the jerseys?

Breen blamed a thing called "wordmark," which led to all caps used not just on the entrance signs and the jerseys, but on everything else from recruitment materials and business cards to mugs and T-shirts. Like any brand, school officials said, UConn has a policy and has guidelines surrounding the use of the wordmark to "maintain the integrity of the brand."

Come to think of it, Breen says, even the throwback jerseys have "CONNECTICUT" in all caps. The hyphens he dismisses as an obsession with the symbol by certain publications.

So is misusage a capital offense?

"With signs, the example I give to people is to take out a dollar bill," Breen says. "Look the bill. The phrase 'United States of America' is in all caps, but when we write about the country, it's 'United States Of America.' Signs are like dollar bills."

So, it's all branding and money?

"Eh, it's just way to make the name stand out," Breen says. "With writing, it's same as ever was, to quote David Byrne."

So will UConn's head of taking, er, writing, ever be able to relax?

"As long as it's a capital U, then a capital C, with those being the only capital letters," Breen said.

So, in review, when one is driving on Route 195 and turns onto campus at a sign that says UCONN, he or she is really going to UConn.