NGU changes mascot

[FormerCrusader#84]

North Greenville are now known as the trailblazers.

https://www.ngu.edu/north-greenville...nday%20evening.

[Son of Zardoz]

So now your name has a double meaning.

Not bad though, good name and nice logo design/mascot. Wonder, if they'll use the fox outside of the frame as well. Also, this certainly takes one of the finalists away from Catawba, lol.

[Argonut]

What was so wrong with Crusaders?

[FormerCrusader#84]

What was so wrong with Crusaders?

I would imagine it is because the university/athletics department doesn't want to be connected with all of the negative associations with the term/name. The crusades promoted very aggressive, violent, and oppressive religious ideology, and were the foundation of much of the hate of the western world by people in the Middle East. The name also has ties to the KKK. The article doesn't mention any of these things but I think there was more to it than just wanting to better reflect the area and the direction the university wants to go in.

[Eagle74]

Nice change! 🦊

[Mule]

“Moonshiners” would have worked well too!

[Eagle74]

“Moonshiners” would have worked well too!

I agree! Think of all the logoed merchandise they would be selling these days.

I remember checking in on this site years ago, when Newberry was changing their mascot, and there was a poster who was repeatedly pushing for the mascot be changed to the 'COBS' (in honor of the area). The whole thread was hilarious.

[crixus]

Several teams at most levels of college athletics have dropped the Crusaders name over the years. The first one I remember doing it was Point Loma Nazarene University way back in 2002. They changed it to Sea Lions.

[Argonut]

“Moonshiners” would have worked well too!

Moonshiners with an old time blacked out NASCAR style car would be classic, but probably not get much support at a religious based school.

[laker]

What was so wrong with Crusaders?

There have been a number of schools who have dropped the name. Crown College changed to the Storm in 2002 and now changed again to the Polars because it is hard to have a mascot with a storm- much easier and nicer to have a polar bear. Valparaiso changed to Beacons (which sucks) in 2021. At least this NGU one looks nice.

I found out today that the Sleepy Eye MN Indians (town is named for Chief Sleepy Eye) is changing the name to the storm. The MN state legislature has banned any native nicknames. Nearby G-F-W Thunderbirds evidently have to change too. Another unfunded mandate, the school bears 100% of the cost to change everything, including logos and uniforms.

Storm comes to Sleepy Eye | News, Sports, Jobs - The Journal (nujournal.com)

[Tech Boys]

Northwest Nazarene made their change on January 1, 2018.

[zimmy21]

There have been a number of schools who have dropped the name. Crown College changed to the Storm in 2002 and now changed again to the Polars because it is hard to have a mascot with a storm- much easier and nicer to have a polar bear. Valparaiso changed to Beacons (which sucks) in 2021. At least this NGU one looks nice.

I found out today that the Sleepy Eye MN Indians (town is named for Chief Sleepy Eye) is changing the name to the storm. The MN state legislature has banned any native nicknames. Nearby G-F-W Thunderbirds evidently have to change too. Another unfunded mandate, the school bears 100% of the cost to change everything, including logos and uniforms.

Storm comes to Sleepy Eye | News, Sports, Jobs - The Journal (nujournal.com)

Wasn't like it sprang up on them though, schools have been forced to change their names all around the state for years now despite any legal challenges.

I'm not saying I agree that they should have to, but they are by far from the first schools to be forced into changing in the state alone. They should have been thinking ahead and not putting Indians/thunderbirds on the jerseys they've purchased recently

[crixus]

There have been a number of schools who have dropped the name. Crown College changed to the Storm in 2002 and now changed again to the Polars because it is hard to have a mascot with a storm- much easier and nicer to have a polar bear. Valparaiso changed to Beacons (which sucks) in 2021. At least this NGU one looks nice.

I found out today that the Sleepy Eye MN Indians (town is named for Chief Sleepy Eye) is changing the name to the storm. The MN state legislature has banned any native nicknames. Nearby G-F-W Thunderbirds evidently have to change too. Another unfunded mandate, the school bears 100% of the cost to change everything, including logos and uniforms.

Storm comes to Sleepy Eye | News, Sports, Jobs - The Journal (nujournal.com)

What about native tribes that are OK with a University using their name, like the Seminoles and Florida State or the Chippewas and Central Michigan. Is that allowed in Minnesota?

[crixus]

North Greenville are now known as the Trailblazers.

https://www.ngu.edu/north-greenville...nday%20evening.

Reminds me of the Utah Tech Trailblazers (formerly Dixie State University Red Storm and Rebels prior to that). Their nickname was changed to Red Storm in 2009 and Trailblazers in 2016. And the school name was changed in 2022.

[zimmy21]

What about native tribes that are OK with a University using their name, like the Seminoles and Florida State or the Chippewas and Central Michigan. Is that allowed in Minnesota?

Only if they get the 11 tribes that live in the state to sign off on it.

Also, to piggyback on this even more the State gave schools from May of 2023 until September 1st, 2025 to remove the nicknames/mascots/imagery