North Carolina State is making damn sure they’re the only “Wolfpack” in college athletics.
According to the Charlotte Observer, N.C. State has reached out to Loyola University in New Orleans informing them their use of the Wolfpack image constitutes trademark infringement. N.C. State argues they have exclusive rights to the name and image.
N.C. State registered the “Wolfpack” trademark in 1983 -- a time when Loyola did not sponsor college athletics. However, the Observer reports that Loyola has used the Wolfpack title since the 1930’s, while N.C. State began calling their program by the same name in 1947.
“People could think something is being sponsored by N.C. State,” N.C. State Assistant General Counsel Shawn Troxler said Sunday. “We’re in the beginning stages of discussion of how they could use the term ‘Wolfpack.’ ”
The university is proposing that Loyola college could license the nickname for a fee, or alter the title to separate itself from N.C. State.
In 2008, N.C. State confronted Nevada for a similar trademark infringement. Nevada agreed to change their name from “Wolfpack” to “Wolf Pack”.
Ridiculous? A little. But trademarks are trademarks.