The Association of Former Students of Texas A&M University, which has the honor and responsibility of protecting the integrity of the Aggie Ring, is aware of advertisements offering counterfeit Aggie Rings for sale on various websites.
Association Vice President Scot Walker ’90 said the design of the Aggie Ring is intellectual property with federal trademark protections, and that The Association and Texas A&M work collaboratively on almost a daily basis to respond to violations of those protections.
“The Aggie Ring Program is the largest collegiate ring program in the world, and the Aggie Ring is recognized worldwide as the most visible symbol of the Aggie Network,” Walker said. “Unfortunately, that prominence makes the Aggie Ring a high-value target for counterfeiters and for peddlers of unlicensed products that use Aggie Ring images and symbols.”
Those who have earned the right to wear the Aggie Ring have cleared some of the toughest requirements in the country for a class ring. As a mark of academic achievement backed by nearly 125 years of tradition, the Ring is one of the most treasured items an Aggie possesses.
“We know the hard work that goes into earning an Aggie Ring and we take very seriously our responsibility of ensuring that receiving it remains an accomplishment based on academic excellence and achievement,” he said.
Aggies themselves play a key role in protecting the Ring, Walker said. “Illegal products aren’t going to get past us because we have more than half a million sets of eyes out there watching for and reporting people, companies and websites who try to profit dishonestly off the Aggie Ring.”
To report questionable Aggie Rings or potentially unlicensed products for sale, Aggies can email The Association at AggieNetwork@AggieNetwork.com.
With its comprehensive former student database and decades-long history of Aggie Ring orders, The Association can also reunite lost Aggie Rings with their owners. To report a lost or found Aggie Ring, use the form at tx.ag/LostFound.
The Association of Former Students, established in 1879, is the official alumni organization of Texas A&M University. The Association connects hundreds of thousands of members of the worldwide Aggie Network with each other and the university, and provided $14.95 million in impact to university scholarships, awards, traditions and student activities and recognition for students, faculty, staff and former students in 2022. For more information, visit AggieNetwork.com.
Courtesy of Scot Walker, Vice President, The Association of Former Students
