Two Catholic universities sharing nearly identical names are now locked in a federal trademark dispute over a single, century-old sports nickname.
Saint John’s University in Collegeville, Minnesota, filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Minnesota against St. John’s University in Queens, New York, over the use of the terms “Johnnies,” “Johnnie,” and “Johnny,” mprnews.org reported. The Minnesota campus argues that it has continuously used the nickname for its students and athletic teams since at least September 1, 1900, creating a protected brand identity that is now being compromised by national recruitment overlap.
A Trademark Timeline Spanning Over a Century
The legal complaint outlines a long history of branding and registration. According to court documents cited by the Minneapolis Bulletin, the Order of St. Benedict applied for the trademark on October 24, 2003. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office issued the registration on October 12, 2004, and the mark was officially assigned to Saint John’s in Minnesota on September 7, 2012.
The lawsuit contends that the New York school’s broader adoption of the Johnnies moniker is a recent development. Historically, the New York institution competed under different banners. St. John’s teams in Queens were known as the Redmen beginning in the 1920s before transitioning to the Red Storm in 1994. In 2009, the university unveiled a mascot named Johnny Thunderbird, gradually expanding its use of the name across digital platforms, athletic schedules, and merchandise.
Minnesota’s filing points to specific digital marketing phrases deployed by the New York school, such as “Welcome Future Johnnies,” “Jumpstart Your Johnnies Journey,” “Johnnies Day,” “Johnnies Vote,” “Johnnies Blog,” and “Johnnies Promise26,” alongside a website virtual assistant named Johnny.
Shared Student Recruitment Creates Marketplace Confusion
The core of the legal argument rests on marketplace confusion. The Minnesota complaint states that the two institutions share an undeniable overlap in the students they target, recruit, and enroll. While the Collegeville campus primarily serves students from Minnesota and neighboring states, its recent first-year classes include students from New Jersey, Maryland, West Virginia, Florida, Illinois, Texas, Arizona, California, and Washington.
According to KSTP, the Minnesota school sent a cease-and-desist letter on May 13 to St. John’s University Vice President and General Counsel Terryl L. Brown, demanding that the New York institution remove unauthorized uses of the mark and sign a written agreement. When the New York school failed to comply, the litigation moved forward.
The lawsuit asks the federal court to grant a jury trial, issue a permanent injunction blocking the New York university from using the disputed names and related marks within 30 days of an order, and award lost profits, damages, attorneys’ fees, and costs.
Representatives for both universities declined to comment on the pending litigation.
