P.J. Fleck can use ‘Row the Boat’ at Minnesota
Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck will be able to use his signature phrase at his new school after all.
Fleck reached an agreement through his agent Wednesday with Western Michigan for the rights to the phrase “Row the Boat,” which WMU had trademarked during Fleck’s time coaching the Broncos, a source told Yahoo Sports. ESPN was the first to report the agreement.
Technically, Fleck’s agent, Bryan Harlan, will have the trademark transferred to Harlan Sports Management. Harlan and Fleck are then expected to allow Minnesota, Fleck’s new school, to use the phrase during Fleck’s time there.
In confirming the news via a press release Wednesday afternoon, WMU said Fleck will make a yearly endowment of $10,000 to support a football scholarship — the Fleck Family Football Scholarship. The school retains the right to use “Row the Boat” in materials and displays recognizing the Bronco teams Fleck coached from the 2013-16 seasons.
“From a facility aspect we are still evaluating plans on how to celebrate the past four years while embracing our future with Coach (Tim) Lester,” WMU athletic director Kathy Beauregard said in a release. “Coach Fleck has a contract obligation to Western Michigan for $600,000. This amount is being analyized for how it may be used in any changes to the Bill Brown Alumni Center and Waldo Stadium. This agreement today allows us to celebrate the accomplishments of our student-athletes over the past four years.”
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Fleck popularized the phrase after taking over at WMU following the 2012 season. “Row the Boat” is something of a catch-all mantra for pushing through life’s obstacles. Fleck lost his infant son, Colt, to a heart condition in 2011.
WMU had trademarked the phrase, leading to questions about who would get the phrase once Fleck took the Minnesota job Jan. 6.
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Matt Fortuna is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
