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Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has trademarked his own name

As part of USA Today’s look into the exploding salaries of college football coaches, another trend was noticed: trademarked names.

According to a Steve Berkowitz story, Clemson coach Dabo Swinney has already trademarked his name, while Ohio State is in the process of trademarking Urban Meyer’s name and the phrase “Urban Meyer Knows.”

Additionally, Kansas State has a licensing agreement “to use the name and likeness” of coach Bill Snyder and Washington coach Steve Sarkisian “negotiated the right to approve all uses of his name, voice, signature or likeness.”

Compared to the others, Swinney’s deal is unique. He has a deal under Clemson’s licensing program to sell merchandise with his name and a personal deal with Collegiate Licensing Co., a licensing agency used by many universities, including Clemson. Swinney’s deal with CLC is the only of its kind with an active coach, a company spokesman told USA Today.

“I think there’s a value to Dabo’s name and likeness, and it’s to the point now where it can be broken out separately and compensated for separately,” said Swinney’s agent, Mike Brown.

Brown has had discussions with Clemson athletic director Dan Radakovich about adding a separate licensing agreement to Swinney’s employment contract with the school.

“I don’t know if I could trademark the name Dan,” Radakovich said. “But people like Urban and Dabo – those are unique – and everybody has to take advantage of what opportunities are placed in front of them.”

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H/T USA Today

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