COLLEGE STATION, Texas -- Texas A&M University says it has reached a settlement agreement with the Indianapolis Colts in the school's federal lawsuit it says was meant to protect its "12th Man" trademark from infringement.
In a statement issued Wednesday, A&M officials said the lawsuit "has been settled amicably and with good will." A&M spokesman Shane Hinckley and a Colts spokesman declined to offer details on the terms of the agreement.
Colts Chief Operating Officer, Pete Ward, issued this statement
"12th Man" became part of our Ring of Honor 10 years ago in the RCA Dome, recognizing our fans and the home field advantage they create for us on game day. In the end, we decided the phrase itself was more important to Texas A&M than to us and we didn't feel making a change was a big issue for the vast majority of Colts fans. It wasn't worth a battle with the university. We will still recognize our crowd in the Ring of Honor in a manner to be announced in the near future.
When the lawsuit was filed last November in federal court in Houston, A&M System Chancellor John Sharp said the intent was to protect the phrase "Home of the 12th Man" and variations of it that the university contends have brought its fan base "national renown."
A&M previously sued the Seattle Seahawks for infringing on the trademark and the two sides reached a settlement.
The university says the 12th Man phrase was federally trademarked in 1990.
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