Nomenclature
California State University, Long Beach
"California State University, Long Beach" is the official name of our university. This formal term must be used in contracts, legal and policy documents, diplomas and certificates. Upon secondary reference in copywriting, the shortened "Cal State Long Beach" and/or the acronym “CSULB" may be used.
Beach Athletics
“Beach Athletics” is associated with our intercollegiate athletics program. Our teams, too, simply carry the prefix “Beach” in front of the sport name. The only exception to this is the term “Dirtbags,” which is a longstanding informal nickname for the Long Beach State baseball team.
Elbee
Elbee joined the university in August 2020 following a 2019 student-led process that selected the shark as The Beach’s new mascot. While Elbee is a shark, the university’s Division I intercollegiate athletics program remains “Beach Athletics.” Illustrations of Elbee are developed and issued only by the university’s Strategic Communications unit, and may not be altered in any way.
INFORMAL NICKNAMES
Long Beach State University
The term "Long Beach State" is a carryover from when our insitution was called "Long Beach State College" (1950-64). While the term's use today is primarily in connection with the university's intercollegiate athletics program, a unique feature of our university is that this unofficial expression has remained a preferred term for many stakeholders.
The Beach
"The Beach" is popular shorthand when referring to the university, and may be used in more informal speech and copywriting.
'49ers
“‘49er” remains an informal nickname and identifier for anyone affiliated with our university as an alumnus/alumna, employee, student, or supporter. The term references our founding year of 1949. Several organizations on campus also use the term, including the Daily '49er student newspaper, the '49er Shops, and the '49er Foundation.
USE OF UNIVERSITY NAME AND MARKS
California Education Code Section 89005.5(a)(1)(B) provides that the names of all California State University institutions are property of the State of California. Education Code Section 89005.5(a)(2)(B) states that no person shall use any CSU name, or any abbreviation of any CSU name, to imply, indicate or otherwise suggest that any product, service, or organization is connected or affiliated with, or is endorsed, favored or supported by the Trustees of the California State University. This section further provides that "The permission of the Trustees is required before any [CSU name] may be used for any commercial purpose." Subpart (c) of Section 89005.5 states that any person who uses a CSU name in violation of California law is also guilty of a misdemeanor. Further, visual marks of the University such as the seal, various logos and wordmarks, and the shark mascot are also legally protected and may not be used by outside individuals and organizations without permission. Entities interested in using the University name or an institutional mark on commercial purposes may explore licensing opportunities with the institutionally affiliated '49er Shops at the Beach, which manages trademarked CSULB images on behalf of and under agreement with the University. The '49er Shops will not enter into a licensing agreement that implies that any product, service, or organization or is endorsed, favored or supported by the University. If a licensing agreement is reached with the '49er Shops, marks may not be altered in any way.
