Ohio State trademarks name of legendary coach Woody Hayes
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}CIRCA 1970's: Head Coach Woody Hayes of the Ohio State Buckeyes shouts out from the sidelines during a NCAA football game mid circa 1970's. Hayes coached the Ohio State Buckeyes from 1951-78. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- After trademarking the name of current Buckeyes football coach Urban Meyer, Ohio State has done the same with his predecessor Woody Hayes.
The Columbus Dispatch reports the university filed for the trademark earlier this year.
The director of trademark and licensing services, Rick Van Brimmer, says Ohio State has used the late coach's name or face on T-shirts, hats and bobblehead figures over the years. He says it started "innocently" with the name "Woody" on the back of a hat, just the kind the coach wore.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The director says Hayes' family has been "wonderful" about the merchandise, directing the royalties to scholarship funds. Van Brimmer says he and Hayes' son, Steven, realized the arrangement was never formalized, and that prompted the trademark filing.
Hayes died in 1987.