Cincinnati Forces Rivalry Rebrand After Threatening Middle School

The University of Cincinnati threatened legal action against Cheatham Middle School over its use of the Bearcats mascot’s Name, Image and Likeness. It forced the middle school to undergo total rebrand, which led the district to instead align with the University of Xavier after an outcry of support from the Musketeers.

College rivalries continue to be the gift that keeps on giving, even on the middle school level!

Cheatham is located approximately 30 miles outside of Nashville and 300 miles south of Cincinnati in Ashland City, TN. The school serves ~500 students in the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth grades. Its mascot used to be the Bearcat.

However, Cheatham received a cease and desist letter from the University of Cincinnati at the end of November. District administrators tried to work out a compromise. Their efforts failed.

We submitted a proposal to the University agreeing to remove the logo and create a new one but have now been denied and informed that the school can also no longer use or refer to themselves as the “Bearcats”, as they also own a sports licensing copyright for that word as well. We have been left with no reasonable choice but to rebrand and choose a new Cheatham Middle Mascot.

— Cheatham County School District Athletic Department

The Cincinnati Bearcats’ biggest rival is the Xavier Musketeers. They are located in the same city, just 2.5 miles apart. Very few college basketball games are as intense as The Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout.

The Musketeers immediately went to work as soon as they caught wind of Cincinnati’s letter to Cheatham. Anthony Breen founded Synergistic, an Integrated Marketing & Media company, in 2018. He offered his services free of charge on one condition— Cheatham had to ditch the Bearcats mascot in favor of their crosstown rivals.