Baylor University and Boston University are nearing an agreement in a federal trademark case, with Baylor expected to file either a dismissal agreement or another settlement update by Oct. 9, 2026. The terms of any deal have not been disclosed.
Baylor sued Boston University’s trustees on Aug. 8, 2025, accusing the university of trademark infringement, unfair competition and false designation of origin under the Trademark Act of 1946. Baylor told the court Sept. 9 that it expected to report back within two weeks. In a Sept. 23 filing, however, Baylor said the case was not ready to be dismissed despite substantial progress.
Baylor President Linda Livingstone said the institutions are working toward a resolution.
Baylor has used its logo since 1912 and applied for federal trademark registration in 1987. Boston University initially opposed that application, according to the source, before the schools agreed both could use the letters “BU.” Boston traditionally displayed the letters side by side, while Baylor used an interlocked version. Boston began selling merchandise and club sports jerseys with interlocked letters in 2018.
Baylor contacted Boston in 2021, but Boston kept using the design on products tied to the university and its licensing program.
