The United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee was reorganized by the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act, originally enacted in 1978. It is a federally chartered nonprofit corporation and does not receive federal financial support (other than for select Paralympic military programs). Pursuant to the Act, the USOPC has the exclusive right to use and authorize the use of Olympic-related marks, images and terminology in the United States. The USOPC licenses that right to sponsors as a means of generating revenue in support of its mission. Unlike most other nations, the United States does not have a sports ministry.

The USOPC has two primary responsibilities in its oversight of Olympic and Paralympic sport in the United States. The first is to generate resources in support of its mission, which is to help American athletes achieve sustained competitive excellence. The second is to ensure organizational resources are wisely and effectively used to that end.

OLYMARCS, which is an acronym for “Olympic Marks Approval Requests and Concept Submissions” and is to be used for all USOPC Olympic and Paralympic Mark approvals.