You will soon see more of UC Davis around town -- and beyond.

The university has contracted with The Collegiate Licensing Company, the largest collegiate licensing agency in the United States, to manage the licensing of its trademark and expand both the variety and market reach of its branded products.

Scott Stevenson, trademark and licensing manager at UC Davis, said the partnership, which took affect Jan. 1, will help take the UC Davis brand — and the visibility of the university itself — to new levels.

“CLC will provide us with access to key resources and relationships for exposing UC Davis to new students, fans and supporters,” he said.

The company represents nearly 200 colleges and universities, including UC Berkeley.

The UC Davis licensing will range far beyond the domain of athletics. In a recent presentation to marketing and communication staff from across the university, Stevenson said the partnership could license a variety of new items — from pet supplies to wine accessories — and help put UC Davis products in nationally known stores and airport shops around the country.

“We’ve just taken a giant step,” Tom Hinds, interim director of marketing communications for UC Davis, told the audience after the presentation by Stevenson and Denise Lamb, director of university services for CLC.

Hinds and Jan Conroy, University Communications publications director, will manage the brand by working with the licensing office and campus units.

Hinds said the goal is to ensure that the UC Davis name is presented consistently wherever it is seen, and to develop strategies to increase its visibility across the state and nation.

The university and CLC will develop a three- to five-year marketing plan for licensing, which could tap into the university’s identification with areas as diverse as viticulture and companion animals. Stevenson said the university would maintain control over what products are licensed.

The Atlanta-based company provides licensed vendors with services such as digitized, authentic logos for embroidering products; collects royalties; and helps enforce the university’s rights against those who have not paid to use its brand.

The company will pay royalties and licensing fees to the university based on a sliding scale — from 67.5 percent of the first $50,000 to 82.5 percent of all annual revenue in excess of $500,000.

Stevenson said proceeds from trademark licensing go to Student Affairs, including athletics and the UC Davis Bookstore.

The UC Davis licensing program began in 1981 and had been managed by Licensing Resource Group since 1996.