In the March 25 issue of The Maroon, an article stated that a letter from North Carolina State University was received addressing Loyola’s use of the mascot name “Wolfpack” and how it is an infringement of NC State’s trademark.
I think it is ridiculous to fight and argue about something as miniscule as the name of a mascot. If Western Michigan University and Boise State University are able to share the mascot name “Buster Bronco” without it turning into a big fiasco, why is it so difficult for Loyola and NC State do the same?
According to an article titled “N.C. State Bites Back over Use of Wolfpack Mascot” from NewsRecord.com, “Loyola’s use of Wolfpack could lead to confusion and misunderstanding in the marketing-intense, big-money world of collegiate sports,” but it is obvious that the heart of this issue is money. I think that North Carolina State feels that Loyola is taking money away from them by using the trademarked name, but I am confused as to why they think this way.
Loyola and NC State are in two different parts of the country, have two different color schemes and are completely disconnected from each other. Because of their differences, Loyola’s use of the “Wolfpack” should serve no threat to NC State whatsoever. Until recently, everything was fine between these two schools regarding the “Wolfpack” mascot, so why would they want to mess up the harmony between these two universities by bringing up a supposed copyright infringement?
Overall, I feel that the name of the mascot is what makes a university, and if Loyola has to change their mascot, it will change the nature of its students. The spirit that has been instilled in the students could possibly decrease significantly, and as a Loyola student, I would hate to see that happen.
Tiffany Brownlee
Psychology freshman
