Name-a-Day Calendar, January 7: CSUN Matadors
Page 62 of 365
Chosen in: 1958
Chosen by: Student body vote
Welcome to California! I’m using each individual school’s preferred athletic branding, so the order of some schools here might be a tad confusing. I promise I’m not just skipping teams.
What is now California State University, Northridge, was founded in 1952 as a satellite campus of Los Angeles State College. They would break away to become their own school in 1958, renaming themself San Fernando Valley State College in the process.
Of course, they also needed their own mascot, so they held a contest to select one. They received 158 suggestions, which were then cut down to five finalists: Apollos, Falcons, Rancheros, Titans, and eventual winner Matadors. I couldn’t confirm who suggested the “Matadors” nickname or why, but the university website claims the mascot “reflect[s] the fierce spirit of the campus and the proud heritage of the San Fernando Valley”.
On January 17, 1994, a rather bad, magnitude 6.7 earthquake struck Northridge, killing 57 and injuring more than 9000. It was so destructive, in fact, that CSUN students considered abandoning the “Matadors” athletic branding and becoming the “Quakes”. It was even sent to a student body vote a few months later; it lost, 1334-392.
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