Troy and Abed's plumbers disguise is for "Rod and Barry" plumbers. On the DVD commentary, writer Matt Fusfeld reveals that these names were chosen because the staff writers of Community prefer to use the toilet in the nearby Roddenberry building (named after Gene Roddenberry, the creator of Star Trek (1966)) rather than the bathroom adjacent to the writers' room.
There are three file folders in the drawer in Chang's office: LOCK COMBINATIONS, MISC. CHANG PUNS, and EXTRA FILE FOLDERS.
The opening sequence, showcasing Chang, uses footage from the comedic sci-fi film What Planet Are You From? (2000).
J.P. Manoux, who plays the fake dean says "It's hard out there for a fake Moby." In the TV episode The Limo (2005), Manoux plays a character that is mistaken for Moby.