Wisconsin gets custody of “W” logo, sorta

The University of Wisconsin and Washburn University settled the lawsuit concerning the “W” logo.

According to the settlement, as printed in the Topeka Capital-Journal, Washburn has to stop using a “W” that can be confused with the Wisconsin “Motion W,” Washburn’s “W” must be modified with a straight top and bottom, the “W” must be used in conjunction with another word or design, the floor in Lee Arena has to be changed by 2014 and the football field has to be changed by 2015. Any other painted “W’s” have to be changed by 2012 and the bookstore can continue to sell items with the “W” on them for six months.

Thanks, Wisconsin, for wasting our and your university’s resources. We’re glad that potential confusion was cleared up. That possible confusion between a D-II Kansas school and a D-I Wisconsin school would have been chaotic. Especially when they played each other.

Oh wait.

You know, we’re kind of confused, looking at the Wisconsin team and looking at the University of Nebraska team – they have the same shade of red! We hope there is not any confusion about that.

Admittedly, the Wisconsin “W” and the Washburn “W” were similar. So what? What was the impact of having similar “W’s”? Washburn fans know the BLUE “W” that is emblazoned upon their game day shirts and flags. It is not Wisconsin.

Rather than concerning themselves with using their resources to benefit students, or allowing Washburn to do the same, they are focusing some of their efforts on making a small college in Kansas spend upwards of half a million dollars as a result of their hissy fit. In these lean economic times, we appreciate your concern, Wisconsin.

Overall, we suppose we are glad that the “W” is getting a facelift. While the cost of changing everything will be incredible, perhaps the reinvigoration will help spirit at athletic events.

We’ll see you at the game, and we’ll be wearing our “Power W” T-shirts, cheering on the Ichabods and the Lady Blues… or was it the Badgers? We got confused.