Ohio State Football Tweet About ‘THE’ Trademark Goes Viral

Buckeyes fans can now take extra pride in the moment of saying “THE” in front of Ohio State thanks to the U.S. government approving the program’s trademark on Tuesday.

Following the nearly three-year process, Ohio State’s Twitter account tweeted a picture Wednesday afternoon with “THE,” giving a nod to SpongeBob SquarePants in the process. Take a look.

Ohio State filed the trademark application for “THE” in August 2019 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. However, the university’s request was denied in September ’19 as the USPTO stated that the university’s attempt to secure the trademark was “merely ornamental” and that Marc Jacobs had previously filed an application for the trademark months prior.

In return, the university insisted that the trademark would not be merely an ornament, and went against Marc Jacob’s application. Eventually, both Ohio State and Marc Jacobs settled their dispute in August ‘21 and now both share the trademark for “THE.”

While many people do not include “THE” in front of the university’s name, it has always been a popular tendency to do so by current football players and NFL players who previously played for the football program. 

• Buckeyes Now: 2023 Florida WR Brandon Inniss Commits To Ohio State

For more Ohio State coverage, go to Buckeyes Now