Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the members of the Mascot Committee?
Chaired by Terry Driscoll, the committee includes alumni, students, faculty and staff. View the complete list of members.
Will W&M change the name of its athletic teams or its colors?
No, this is simply the addition of a school mascot. William & Mary will continue to be the Tribe in green, gold and silver.
How do I submit a mascot idea?
The official submission period for W&M mascot ideas was April 1, 2009 - June 30, 2009. More than 800 individuals submitted ideas for review by the mascot search committee. Our blog is a great way to get more information about the suggestions we have received.
What is a mascot anyway?
A mascot is a person, animal, or object adopted by an athletic team and thought to bring luck.
What is the process for selecting the new mascot?
The mascot committee is responsible for encouraging participation and reviewing mascot ideas. Mascot concepts will be posted for feedback from the W&M community. Utimately, the mascot committee will make a final recommendation to President Taylor Reveley. The committee has a tentative time line.
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. Now you know.
I've read a lot on the Mascot Blog and Facebook group about the NCAA ruling. What's the short explanation?
In 2004, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) requested that several member institutions, including William & Mary, submit a self-evaluation to determine if the Native American imagery or nicknames used at the schools were hostile or abusive. Schools found in violation would not be permitted to wear the offending logos during postseason competition or be allowed to host postseason NCAA athletic events on their own campuses.
In May 2006, the NCAA agreed with the College's assessment that the nickname "Tribe" was not offensive but ruled that the College should stop using two feathers on its athletic logo. In July 2006, the College appealed the ruling regarding the use of the feathers to the NCAA’s executive committee. On August 3, 2006, the NCAA upheld its initial ruling that the feathers attached to William and Mary's athletic logo are unacceptable under their regulations.
How can we be the Tribe without feathers?
Yes. Actually, Tribe has come to mean the people at W&M. Here are a few other definitions:
- any aggregate of people united by ties of descent from a common ancestor, community of customs and traditions, adherence to the same leaders, etc.
- a division of some other people
- a class or type of animals, plants, articles, or the like
- a class or set of persons, esp. one with strong common traits or interests
What is the committee doing now?
Our work started with discussions about the guidelines for mascot submissions. And, we had a lot to do on the communication front to get the word out. Next, we developed a checklist to screen mascot ideas and encouraged your ideas during the April 30, 2009 - June 30, 2009 submission period. We post notes from all of our meetings and discussions. Now we are culling through hundreds of ideas looking for the right one! One way to stay in tune with our decisionmaking is the "In Committee" feature on our blog.
When will the W&M mascot be chosen?
The committee doesn't have a deadline; but we are following a tentative time line. We included a lot of time for alumni, students, faculty, staff and friends to submit ideas. And, since we expect to get numerous submissions, we've built in plenty of time to review all of the suggestions. We hope to finish our search for a mascot in late 2009.
Didn't W&M have a green blob in a tri-cornered hat as a mascot?
Colonel Ebirt (Tribe spelled backwards) was an unofficial mascot for about fours years - 2001 to 2005. He's enjoying his life on the beach and not interested in coming back ;)
What's the history of mascots and nicknames at W&M?
A couple of years ago, University Relations prepared this history of the College's mascots and nicknames.
How can I make other suggestions or provide comments?
Visits to this website are a great way to participate. And, we invite you to read and comment on the mascot blog. You may also send comments to the mascot committee.
We have a W&M Mascot page on Facebook and you can follow us on Twitter! We're on YouTube too.
