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Report: P.J. Fleck, Western Michigan agree to deal for “Row The Boat” trademark
Published:
P.J. Fleck will indeed be rowing the boat all over Minnesota.
The new Gophers coach was involved in legal negotiations with Western Michigan for the trademark rights to “Row The Boat,” which Fleck made popular during his time in Kalamazoo.
According to ESPN’s Darren Rovell, Fleck acquired the trademark to his famous catchphrase from his former school for $50,000.
BREAKING: P.J. Fleck & Western Michigan have reached a deal to transfer the "Row The Boat" trademark rights to Fleck. Will cost $50,000.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) February 15, 2017
The deal will involve Fleck giving WMU five payments of $10,000, which will fund a scholarship for a football player.
Fleck said after he was hired that he was confident that a deal would get done. With the deal reportedly in place, the Gophers would be allowed to use Row The Boat on Minnesota gear and advertising.
Fleck did maintain, however, that Minnesota’s battlecry “Ski-U-Mah” wouldn’t be going anywhere. He said that if Row The Boat came to Minnesota, it would only be to complement Minnesota’s tradition.
However Fleck plans to use Row The Boat, that’s still some elite news for Fleck on a Wednesday morning.
Connor O'Gara is the senior national columnist for Saturday Tradition. He's a member of the Football Writers Association of America. After spending his entire life living in B1G country, he moved to the South in 2015.