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Southern California or South Carolina: which school is the real USC?! That debate has only ramped up in recent days after the latter changed its logo to more closely resemble the former.

On Wednesday afternoon, the University of South Carolina announced that it is simplifying its branding marks and will focus on its iconic tree-and-gates academic logo. Here is what the academic logo will look like:

In addition to the academic logo-focus, South Carolina is also introducing a spirit mark. Athletic logos are not impacted.

By making a change to its spirit mark, the Gamecocks are “sunsetting” an old logo that was adopted in 2019. This is where things get interesting.

South Carolina attempts to reclaim “USC” and establish dominance over Southern California

Previously, South Carolina’s academic spirit mark included the word “of” between the “U” and the “SC.” Here is what it looks like on the university website:

That will no longer be the case. The university’s branding update will take effect on Jan. 4, 2023. Its new spirit mark does not include the “of.” Here is how it looks:

While it may not look like the change is significant, it is.

“The university will introduce a new block-letter USC spirit mark that embraces the university’s unrivaled spirit and includes 1801, the year of its founding. The spirit mark will provide versatility in promoting the university in non-academic settings.”

— University of South Carolina press release

By removing the “of” and adding the year 1801, whether intentional or not, South Carolina has reignited a war of USCs. President Michael Amiridis spoke to the move in a statement.

“In my short time back at the university, alumni and other stakeholders have told me how important it is to return the USC name back to the institution,” he said. “We are initiating that change today.”

The new spirit mark is reclaiming that it is the USC and establishing its dominance by pointing to its history. And it appears to be intentional.

Southern California was founded in 1880, nearly 79 years after South Carolina. And yet, largely because of their success in football during the early 2000s, most people would associate the “USC” moniker with the Trojans.

The Gamecocks are taking it back. Or, at least, trying to. It is no longer “U of SC,” it is the “USC.”