Our friends in the Pacific Northwest have settled a dispute over how they have tried to brand the team. The team reached a licensing agreement with Texas A&M University over the use of the 12th Man trademark. The team has never been able to put “12th Man” on official merchandise, but the new deal means they cannot include it in their Ring of Honor, and cannot use the phrase in social media. They will pay a new royalty fee (unknown amount) and contribute to A&M’s legal bills to protect the mark.
The “12th Man” has become a big thing in Seattle, with heavy promotion of the 12s and other assorted ways of saying they’re that extra man on the field.