It doesn't actually say that though does it? It says that THE (all caps) has been trademarked specifically as a brand name to do with sporting items relating to one specific college and the trademark protection would only extend to someone else making similar items using the same logo. Without seeing the specific judgement I can't be sure but it probably also trademarks the specific forms of the letters including fonts and colours. So it's only trademarked "THE" as a symbol not as a word, and a very specific symbol at that.
"No man but a blockhead ever wrote except for money." Samuel Johnson.
