The Ohio State University controls the word “THE” when it comes to its use on sports and collegiate athletic clothing.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office approved OSU’s application by issuing a registration certificate.

Ohio State may authorize production of apparel that may display only the word “THE.”

OSU had tried to trademark the word as early as 2019, saying it wanted to protect the university’s brand and trademarks because the asset held significant value.