The Ohio State University is trying to trademark the word "The" for use on merchandise including hats and T-shirts.
The school submitted an application last week to the United States Patent and Trademark Office in Washington, D.C., the Columbus Dispatch reported Wednesday.
"Like other institutions, Ohio State works vigorously to protect the university's brand and trademarks," Ohio State spokesman Chris Davey said. "These assets hold significant value, which benefits our students and faculty and the broader community by supporting our core academic mission of teaching and research."
Ohio State has at least 150 trademarks in 17 countries, according to the report. In the past, the school trademarked the names of former Buckeyes football coaches Urban Meyer and Woody Hayes.
--Alcohol will be sold at Vanderbilt home football games this season, the university announced.
The sale of domestic and imported beers will take place in public areas of Vanderbilt Stadium starting with the Commodores' season opener against Georgia on Aug. 31. Beer sales (limiting two at one time to each customer) will stop at the end of the third quarter.
In a Vanderbilt release, athletic director Malcolm Turner said, "Not only will this game day initiative enhance our fan experience, it will provide additional resources to invest in our mission of helping our student-athletes succeed on and off the field, such as through facility enhancements and in other areas."
--Texas A&M freshman tight end Baylor Cupp is out indefinitely following surgery to repair a broken left ankle.
Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher said Cupp sustained the injury in a scrimmage Monday and had the operation the following day, but he declined to give a timetable for his return.
Cupp was the No. 1-ranked tight end in the country, the No. 8 player at any position in Texas and No. 53 overall in the 2019 recruiting class, according to the 247Sports Composite.
--Miami Hurricanes junior safety Derrick Smith tweeted that he has left the program and entered the NCAA transfer database.
Smith played in 25 of Miami's 26 games over the past two seasons and registered 24 tackles.
His absence from practice Tuesday was called a "personal matter" by a school spokesman. On Tuesday night, Smith announced on social media that he was "no longer on the University of Miami football team."
--Field Level Media OLUSSPORT Reuters US Online Report Sports News 20190815T012456+0000