UMBC rushes to trademark ‘Retrievers’ after upset win

UMBC’s upset win over Virginia has led to a whole lot of attention being focused on the school that they’re not used to.

One prominent example? Up until now, according to ESPN’s Darren Rovell, the school had never felt the need to trademark “Retrievers,” their nickname. That, Rovell says, is quickly being changed now that UMBC is the hottest story in sports.

Two attorneys quickly notified the school that their nickname wasn’t trademarked, and athletic director Tim Hall said it was prudent to take care of that as quickly as possible.

“With all the attention, it made sense for us to take care of it right away,” Hall said.

UMBC is also trademarking a few other terms, including “Retriever Nation” and “16 over 1.”

Trademarking things now will ensure that nobody can get away with selling Retriever gear that the school won’t profit from. It’s the sort of thing that only a school this small and obscure would have to deal with right now. It’s even funnier juxtaposed with some of the perks the Retrievers are getting as a result of their win.