It's the official name of the university, whereas most would just be "X State University", OSU happens to have "The" in its official name, that's all: https://

It's the official name of the university, whereas most would just be "X State University", OSU happens to have "The" in its official name, that's all: https://library.osu.edu/archives/faq#1 https://library.osu.edu/archives/faq#1 """ However, the "The" was actually part of the state legislation when the university was renamed in 1878. The following excerpt is from the Board of Trustee minutes: "...the educational institution heretofore known as the 'Ohio Agricultural and Mechanical College,' shall be known and designated hereafter as 'The Ohio State University.'" """