Name-a-Day Calendar, November 20: Arkansas State Red Wolves
Page 14 of 365
Chosen in: 2008
Chosen by: A 33-member committee of university stakeholders
Arkansas State University’s sports teams had been known as the Indians since 1931,1 but the NCAA’s 2005 ban on Native American nicknames and imagery caused the school to form a large committee to determine the future of their athletic branding. By most accounts, the school was stubborn to the idea of changing their mascot unless it was the only feasible option, but the school’s athletic budget was small relative to how much it would cost them to try and fight the NCAA on this issue, so they caved and switched to Red Wolves in 2008.
Read more about the history of this decision here.
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The school claims this nickname was chosen to honor the Osage tribe near the school’s northern Arkansas campus. When the nickname was retired in 2008, the Principal Chief of that tribe put out a statement that was basically lengthy PR speak for “good riddance”.