FAQs About the Griffin
Why did you pick the Griffin?
The Griffin is the best representation of all of the mascot suggestions we received. We heard from thousands of students, alumni and friends of the Tribe during our mascot search and discovered that people had a lot of requirements for a Tribe mascot! The Griffin came the closest to representing all of the things the W&M community wanted from a mascot.
I don't like the sound of the W&M Griffins. I prefer The Tribe.
We do too. The Griffin is our mascot but we are, and will remain, The Tribe. We'll never be the W&M Griffins; we are the W&M Tribe.
What other schools have a Griffin for mascot?
Not many. And none of those who do have William & Mary's strong athletic tradition. In addition to William & Mary, these colleges and universities have a Griffin for their mascot:
- Canisius College
- Sarah Lawrence
- Reed College
- Seton Hill University
I'm confused. Isn't Tribe William & Mary's mascot?
No, Tribe is the nickname for W&M athletic teams. An athletic nickname is the name officially adopted by a college or university for the members of its athletic teams. The nickname might also be used to refer to all students, alumni, faculty and staff at a college or university.
A school's mascot and nickname may be interchangeable - or not. Consider Harvard with John Harvard as the mascot and Crimson as the nickname.
What is the Griffin's name?
On June 12, 2018, the iconic creature that roams arenas, sidelines and athletics events was named "Reveley," in honor of the university's 27th President, W. Taylor Reveley III.
