Colleges That Have Changed Their Nickname Due To Public Pressure
With Native American groups crying foul, colleges have changed their nicknames so that they
will no longer be perceived as insensitive
A Tremendous lineup of gameday gear, jerseys, helmets, collectibles and the perfect item for the fan on your shopping list. Discover NFL, MLB, NBA Gear and more!
At the turn of the 19th century, many professional and collegiate universities sought to unite their teams and fan bases behind a particular nickname and mascot brand. Many schools and teams chose generic Indian names while others saluted particular tribes.
Notable Colleges That Have Changed Their Nicknames
- Arkansas State Indians are now the Red Wolves
- Colgate Red Raiders became the Raiders
- Dartmouth Indians became the Big Green
- Louisiana-Monroe Indians became the Warhawks. They also sent “Chief Brave Spirit” packing
- Marquette Warriors became the Golden Eagles in 1994. They also retired their mascot “Willie
Wampum” in 1971. - Miami University changed from the Redskins to Redhawks in 1996
- St. Johns Redmen became the Red Storm in 1995
- Stanford Indians are now the Stanford Cardinal
- Syracuse Orangemen became the “Orange”. They also retired the mascot known as the “Saltine
Warrior.” - UMass Redmen became the Minutemen in 1972
In 1931,an Indian dressed mascot began appearing at Syracuse University sporting events. The costume was donned by Lambda Chi brothers for a 4-decade run before other students were allowed to participate. As time passed by, there was pressure from Native Americans to retire the Saltine Warrior. This mascot tradition was retired by the school in 1978.
Fired Mascots: Due to public pressure, these collegiate mascots were given their walking papers by their
respective universities.
- Illinois: Chief Illiniwek
- Tennessee Chattanooga: Chief Moccanooga
- University of Oklahoma: Big Red
- Ole Miss: Colonel Reb
- Syracuse: The Saltine Warrior
FBS Universities Still Sporting Native American Nicknames:
- Central Michigan Chippewas
- Florida State Seminoles
- San Diego Aztecs
- Utah Utes