Seahawks will pay nearly $150,000 to Texas A&M for rights to use '12th man'

It's not cheap to use the '12th man' moniker

The Seahawks are paying some serious money so that they can call their fans the "12th man."

The team has reached a new licensing deal with Texas A&M that will allow the Seahawks to use the school's "12th man" trademark for the next five years.

According to ESPN.com, the Seahawks will pay the school a total of $140,000 under the new deal, which will give Seattle limited usage rights of the "12th man" trademark.

Under terms of the deal, the Seahawks will pay the school $18,000 over the next five years ($90,000) to use the name in the Pacific Northwest. The team will also throw in an extra $10,000 per year over the next five years ($50,000) to help Texas A&M protect its trademark.

The school has been using the "12th man" nickname since 1922 when a fan offered to play in a football game after the Aggies suffered several injuries during the Cotton Bowl. The nickname was trademarked 68 years later, in 1990.

The Seahawks started paying a royalty fee for the name after signing a five-year deal with the school in 2006. The team also renewed the deal in 2011.

Under terms of the newest deal, the Seahawks won't use the "12th man" in its Ring of Honor at CenturyLink Field. The team also won't be allowed to use the name on social media.

"We are obviously pleased to have in place the new agreement with the Seattle Seahawks that serves to control and minimize any use of Texas A&M's trademark '12th Man' by any entity other than Texas A&M and its authorized licensees," Texas A&M system chancellor John Sharp said in a statement.

The Seahawks have been trying to brand away from the "12th man" name over the past few years by referring to their fans as "12" and "12s." The Seahawks own the federal trademark to both of those names, along with "We are 12s."