Religious symbolism in U.S. sports team names and mascots Last updated September 25, 2025
sports team names and mascots are based upon or use religious symbolism . The majority are scholastic teams at institutions founded by various denominations of Christianity , both Catholic and Protestant . Saints is the most popular of these names not only at religious schools but public schools. However, the latter are often indirect, the schools being located in places named for saints. The only team name that has become controversial is Crusaders , many having changed in recent years. The term, once associated with protectors of the faith is now also associated with oppression. [ 1] Many Christian schools use "Knights" as their team names with imagery similar to crusaders, but it is difficult to establish religious symbolism in these cases. There are also a number of teams whose name includes demons or devils , which are mythological creatures from many cultures. However, the devil imagery in sports used by professional sports teams as well as public and non-sectarian schools are an example of the Devil in the arts and popular culture more than religion. There are also a few team identities based upon Norse mythology in popular culture .
Sports mascots and social identity Team names and their associated sports mascots are examples of totems in the social sciences; symbols that serve both social and psychological functions with many implicit meanings. [ 2] [ 3] The social function is to connect individuals into a community; the psychological function is to symbolize desired qualities with which fans can identify. Mascots are also stereotypes , social constructs which are not always inappropriate when they provide valid, if simplified, perceptions of group differences. [ 4] Participation in sports either as a player or a fan is a significant determinant of social status for college students, in particular for men. [ 5] The most popular category of sports mascots are animals, with Eagles (symbolic of America) at the top of the list followed by Tigers, Bulldogs and Panthers (symbolic of aggression). Of religious meanings, only Saints is in the top 100 in popularity with Catholic, Protestant, and public schools represented. [ 6] However, many Saints teams currently have a St. Bernard dog as their mascot, often portrayed by a costumed performer.
Sectarian schools Catholic colleges and universities Holy Cross Crusaders logo College of the Holy Cross , Worcester, Massachusetts - Holy Cross Crusaders DePaul University , Chicago , Illinois - The origin of the DePaul Blue Demons dates back to 1907 when the university changed its name from St. Vincent's College. At the time, the athletic teams had red uniforms with a large "D" on the front, the players being called the "D-men," evolving into "Demons." The name change also included the school colors. [ 7] The mascot is DIBS (Demon in a Blue Suit). Providence College , Providence, Rhode Island - Providence Friars Saint Joseph's College of Maine , Standish, Maine - Monks, The Monk is a costumed mascot [ 8] University of Saint Thomas , Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota - Tommies , name refers to St. Thomas Aquinas, costumed mascot is Tommy the Tomcat. College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University , Minnesota - The College of Saint Benedict for women are called the Bennies representing Benedict of Nursia , and Saint John's University for men are called the Johnnies, representing John of Patmos . Aquinas College , Grand Rapids, Michigan - Mascot is a St. Bernard dog Carroll College , Helena, Montana - Mascot is "Halo"", a St. Bernard dog College of St. Joseph , Rutland, Vermont - Fighting Saints (Closed due to financial problems in 2019) College of St. Scholastica , Duluth, Minnesota - St. Bernard dog used in some fan items Emmanuel College , Boston, Massachusetts - Mascot is "Halo", a St. Bernard dog Holy Cross College , Notre Dame, Indiana - Mascot is "Basil", a St. Bernard dog Marymount University , Arlington, Virginia - mascot is "Bernie" the Dog Maryville University , Town and Country, Missouri - Maryville Saints , mascot "Louis" the St. Bernard Mercyhurst North East , North East, Pennsylvania Our Lady of the Lake University , San Antonio, Texas - Logos include halos and angel wings. [ 9] Saint Martin's University , Lacey, Washington - Saint Martin's Saints , logo is a knight's helmet Siena College , Loudonville, New York - Siena Saints , mascot Bernie "Saint" Bernard Siena Heights University , Adrian, Michigan - mascot is "Halo the Husky Dog" Thomas More College , Crestview Hills, Kentucky - mascot "Tommy Mo," or "Tommy Moria," a Renaissance Englishman in motley parachute pants. Catholic K-12 schools Archbishop Bergan High School , Fremont, Nebraska - Knights, School logo includes a cross Archbishop Williams High School , Braintree, Massachusetts – Bishops Bishop England High School , Charleston, South Carolina - Battling Bishops Mount Michael Benedictine Abbey and High School , Elkhorn, Nebraska - Knights, School logo is a Benedictine cross Sacred Heart Academy , Louisville, Kentucky - Valkyries St. Bernard's High School , Fitchburg, Massachusetts – Bernardians St. Pius X High School , Albuquerque, New Mexico - Sartans is a reference to the school's namesake. Shanley High School , Fargo, North Dakota - Deacons Thomas More Prep-Marian , Hays, Kansas - Monarchs, Logo includes a cross Bishop Fenwick High School , Peabody, Massachusetts Brother Martin High School , New Orleans , Louisiana Cathedral High School , St. Cloud, Minnesota Central Catholic High School , Grand Island, Nebraska Kapaun Mt. Carmel Catholic High School , Wichita, Kansas Lowell Catholic , Lowell, Massachusetts Marian High School , Omaha, Nebraska Catholic Memorial High School , Waukesha, Wisconsin Bishop Kenny High School , Jacksonville, Florida Bergen Catholic High School , Oradell, New Jersey Friars Archbishop Curley High School , Baltimore, Maryland Austin Catholic Preparatory School , Detroit, Michigan (Closed 1978) Bishop Lynch High School , Dallas, Texas Fenwick High School , Oak Park, Illinois Malvern Preparatory School , Malvern, Pennsylvania Monsignor Bonner High School , Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania St. Anthony High School , Jersey City, New Jersey St. Anthony High School , South Huntington, New York Servite High School , Anaheim, California Bishop Dwenger High School , Fort Wayne, Indiana Canterbury School , New Milford, Connecticut Central Catholic High School , Bloomington, Illinois DeSales High School , Geneva, New York Mormon Trail Jr./Sr. High School , Humeston, Iowa Notre Dame Preparatory High School , Scottsdale, Arizona , mascot St. Bernard San Juan Diego Catholic High School , Austin, Texas Santa Clara High School , Oxnard, California St. Anthony High School , Long Beach, California St. Augustine High School , San Diego, California Saint Bernard School , Uncasville, Connecticut St. Bernard's High School , Fitchburg, Massachusetts St. Bernard Preparatory School , Cullman, Alabama Saint Dominic Academy , Auburn and Lewiston, Maine St. Louis Catholic High School , Lake Charles, Louisiana St. Mary's Central High School , Bismarck, North Dakota St. Mary's High School , Annapolis, Maryland Saint Mary High School , Westfield, Massachusetts St. Mary's School for the Deaf, Buffalo, New York St. Patrick's High School , Maysville, Kentucky Saint Raphael Academy, Pawtucket, Rhode Island St. Thomas Aquinas High School , Overland Park, Kansas St. Thomas Aquinas High School , Dover, New Hampshire St. Vincent's Academy , Savannah, Georgia Saints John Neumann and Maria Goretti Catholic High School , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania Saratoga Central Catholic High School , Saratoga Springs, New York Seton Catholic Central , Binghamton, New York Seton High School , Cincinnati, Ohio Tuscarawas Central Catholic High School , New Philadelphia, Ohio Xavier College Preparatory High School , Palm Desert, California Xavier High School , Cedar Rapids, Iowa Protestant colleges and universities Earlham College , Richmond, Indiana - Quakers , costumed mascot is "Big Earl" Eureka College , Eureka, Illinois - Red Devils, imagery includes a devil's head and a pitchfork. Ronald Reagan was an alumnus, playing on the football team. Guilford College , Greensboro, North Carolina - Guilford Quakers , mascot "Nathan the Quaker" Ohio Wesleyan , Delaware, Ohio - Battling Bishops was selected in 1925 as the team nickname in a contest sponsored by the journalism fraternity. [ 10] Limestone College , Gaffney, South Carolina - Limestone Saints , mascot "Bernie De' Saint", as St. Bernard dog. Meredith College , Raleigh, North Carolina - Avenging Angels, the undergraduate programs being for women only Mid-American Christian University , Oklahoma City Oklahoma - Evangels , logo is a Legionary New Hope Christian College , Eugene, Oregon - Deacons (currently intramural sports only) North Carolina Wesleyan College , Rocky Mount, North Carolina - Battling Bishops Randall University , Moore, Oklahoma - Saints Wake Forest University , Winston-Salem, North Carolina - Wake Forest Demon Deacons , mascot the Demon Deacon Name changes Bloomfield College , Bloomfield, New Jersey - Deacons changed to the Bears in 2014 [ 11] Elon University , Elon, North Carolina - originally the Fightin’ Christians, changed to the Phoenix in 2000 Evangel University , Springfield, Missouri - Crusaders removed in March 2021, [ 12] replaced by the Valor. Lincoln Christian University , Lincoln, Illinois - Preachers (men) and Angels (women) changed to Red Lion in 2009 [ 13] Valparaiso University , Valparaiso, Indiana - Uhlans (1931-1942), Crusaders (1942-2021), changed to Beacons in 2021. Protestant K-12 schools Christian Academy of Louisville , Louisville, Kentucky has four campuses, two of which are Centurions (logo is a soldier with a cross on his helmet) and one is Saints Christian Life Academy , Baton Rouge, Louisiana - Crusaders Shannon Forest Christian School, Greenville, South Carolina - Crusaders University Christian School , Jacksonville, Florida - Fighting Christians, mascot a Christian Knight Brooklyn Friends School , Brooklyn, New York Carolina Friends School , Durham, North Carolina Friends Academy , Locust Valley, New York Friends School of Baltimore , Baltimore, Maryland Moses Brown School , Providence, Rhode Island Sidwell Friends School , Bethesda, Maryland and Washington, D.C. William Penn Charter School , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Wilmington Friends School, Wilmington, Delaware All Saints’ Episcopal School, Fort Worth, Texas All Saints Academy, Winter Haven, Florida - mascot is a St. Bernard dog Baytown Christian Academy , Baytown, Texas Briarcrest Christian School , Shelby County, Tennessee ; the school was founded as a segregation academy in the 1970s [ 14] Calvary Academy, Springfield, Illinois Calvary Baptist Christian High School, San Fernando, California Christian Academy, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina Clarendon Hall School, Summerton, South Carolina Concordia Preparatory School , Towson, Maryland Faith Christian Academy, Pasadena, Texas Faith Christian School, Foreston, Minnesota Faith Heritage School , Syracuse, New York First Baptist Academy , Dallas, Texas Greenville Christian School , Greenville, Mississippi - founded as a segregation academy Harvest Christian Academy, Keller, Texas Hillcrest Christian School, Thousand Oaks, California Lutheran High School , Indianapolis, Indiana - mascot "Louis", a St. Bernard Lighthouse Christian Academy , Santa Monica, California Lima Christian School , Lima, New York Mountain View Christian School, Las Vegas, Nevada Mt. Juliet Christian Academy, Mt. Juliet, Tennessee North Clackamas Christian School , Oregon City, Oregon Oklahoma Christian School , Edmond, Oklahoma Patrician Academy, Butler, Alabama Philadelphia Christian High School, Conyers, Georgia Prentiss Christian School, Prentiss, Mississippi Resurrection Christian School, Charlotte, North Carolina St. James School, Maryland , Hagerstown, Maryland St. Martin's Episcopal School , Metairie, Louisiana Saint Mary's School , Raleigh, North Carolina St. Paul's Episcopal School , Mobile, Alabama St. Paul's Lutheran School, Ocala, Florida St. Paul's Lutheran High School, Concordia, Missouri St. Stephen's & St. Agnes School , Alexandria, Virginia St. Thomas' Episcopal School , Houston, Texas St. Paul's Episcopal School Seattle Lutheran High School , Seattle, Washington Shiloh Christian School , Springdale, Arkansas St. Andrew's School Barrington, Rhode Island St. Andrew's Episcopal School , Ridgeland, Mississippi St. Anne's-Belfield School , Charlottesville, Virginia St. Christopher's School , Richmond, Virginia St. Cloud Christian School, St. Cloud, Minnesota Sylva-Bay Academy, Bay Springs, Mississippi Trinity Episcopal Day School , Natchez, Mississippi Trinity Lutheran School , Bend, Oregon Trinity Preparatory School , Winter Park, Florida Sylva-Bay Academy Vail Christian High School, Edwards, Colorado Private non-sectarian schools Converse University , Concordia, Missouri - Valkyries Dickinson College , Carlisle, Pennsylvania - Red Devils Duke University , Durham, North Carolina - Blue Devils , derived from a French military unit in World War I. [ 15] Fairleigh Dickinson University , Florham Park, New Jersey - Devils Flagler College , St. Augustine, Florida - Saints St. Lawrence University , Canton, New York - Saints (Founded by the Universalist Church of America , but now non-denominational ) University of Pennsylvania , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania - The Penn Quakers name is more historical than religious University of the Sciences , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania - Devils, "Drake the Devil" Public schools Colleges and universities Arizona State University , Phoenix , Arizona - Sun Devils, mascot Sparky the Sun Devil California University of Pennsylvania , California, Pennsylvania - Vulcans Central Connecticut State , New Britain, Connecticut - Blue Devils Lurleen B. Wallace Community College , Andalusia , Greenville , and Opp, Alabama - Saints Mission College , Santa Clara, California - Saints Mt. Hood Community College , Gresham, Oregon - Saints, St. Bernard mascot North Country Community College , Saranac Lake, New York - Saints, St. Bernard mascot Northwestern State University of Louisiana , Natchitoches, Louisiana - Demons, mascot Vic the Demon . San Diego Mesa College , San Diego , California - Olympians Santa Fe College , Gainesville, Florida - Saints, St. Bernard mascot Seward County Community College , Liberal, Kansas - Saints, mascot "Louie the Saint", crusader imagery Shawnee Community College , Ullin, Illinois - Saints, St. Bernard mascot Secondary schools Atkins High School , Atkins, Arkansas - Red Devils [ 17] Batavia High School , Batavia, New York - Blue Devils Brockport High School , Brockport, New York - Blue Devils Brunswick High School (Brunswick, Ohio) , Brunswick, Ohio - Blue Devils Decatur Community High School, Oberlin, Kansas - Red Devils Dolgeville Central School District , Dolgeville, New York - Blue Devils Española Valley High School , Española, New Mexico - Sundevils Ewing High School , Ewing, NJ -Blue Devils Franklin Central School, Franklin, Delaware County, New York - Purple Devils Liberty High School, Liberty, South Carolina - Red Devils Kenmore West Senior High School , Kenmore, New York - Blue Devils Perkins-Tryon High School, Perkins, Oklahoma - Demons Plattsmouth High School, Plattsmouth, Nebraska - Blue Devils Port Barre High School, Port Barre, Louisiana - Red Devils Rancocas Valley Regional High School , Mount Holly, New Jersey - Red Devils Sedan, Kansas - Blue Devils Victor Senior High School , Victor, New York - Blue Devils Washington High School , Washington, Iowa - Demons Wayne High School, Wayne, Nebraska - Blue Devils [ 18] Wynot Public Schools, Wynot, Nebraska - Blue Devils [ 19] Quakers Eastern High School , Lansing, Michigan Franklin High School , Portland, Oregon - Changed from Quakers to Lightning in 2019 [ 20] Franklin High School , Seattle, Washington Horace Greeley High School , Chappaqua, New York Millville Area Junior Senior High School , Columbia County, Pennsylvania Moorestown High School , Moorestown, New Jersey New Philadelphia High School , New Philadelphia, Ohio Orchard Park High School , Orchard Park, New York Plainfield High School , Plainfield, Indiana Quaker Valley High School , Leetsdale, Pennsylvania Salem Junior/Senior High School , Salem, Ohio Saints Butterfield-Odin Public School, Butterfield, Minnesota Calhoun County High School , St. Matthews, South Carolina Cedar Grove High School , Ellenwood, Georgia Churchville-Chili High School , Churchville, New York Delta High School , Clarksburg, California Interlake High School , Bellevue, Washington Jefferson High School , Edgewater, Colorado La Salle High School, St. Ignace, Michigan Locke High School , Los Angeles, California Melcher-Dallas High School , Melcher-Dallas, Iowa St. Ansgar High School , St. Ansgar, Iowa St. Charles High School , St. Charles, Minnesota St. Clair High School , East China Township, Michigan St. Croix Falls High School , St. Croix Falls, Wisconsin St. Helena High School , St. Helena, California St. James High School, St. James, Minnesota St. Michaels Middle/High School , St. Michaels, Maryland St. Paul High School , St. Paul, Arkansas Saint Peter High School, Saint Peter, Minnesota Saint Regis Falls Central School , Saint Regis Falls, New York San Dimas High School , San Dimas, California Sandalwood High School , Jacksonville, Florida Santa Ana High School , Santa Ana, California Santa Fe South High School, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma - mascot St. Bernard Santa Maria High School , Santa Maria, California Santa Teresa High School , San Jose, California Selma High School , Selma, Alabama Southern Wayne High School , Dudley, North Carolina Thornwell Charter School, Clinton, South Carolina West Feliciana High School , St. Francisville, Louisiana Valkyries Schools where the boy's teams are Vikings and the girl's teams are Valkyries, mythical figures in Norse mythology
Professional sports teams and franchises Fort Myers Miracle, Minor League Baseball - became the Fort Myers Mighty Mussels in 2019 [ 21] Los Angeles Angels , Major League Baseball - Named after the city of Los Angeles New Jersey Devils , National Hockey League New Orleans Saints , National Football League - The franchise was named "the Saints" by popular vote on November 1, 1966—All Saint's Day. [ 22] The name refers to the popular New Orleans gospel / jazz tune "When the Saints Go Marching In ". Sacramento Kings , National Basketball Association - Mascot is Slamson the Lion , an allusion to the Old Testament figure Samson. San Antonio Missions , Minor League Baseball [ 23] San Diego Padres , Major League Baseball - refers to the Franciscan friars who founded San Diego Stockton Thunder , ECHL - uses the Norse god Thor as mascot Crusader mascot controversy Many Catholic, and some Protestant schools adopted the Crusader for their teams. The University of the Incarnate Word decided in 2004 that its Crusader mascot was inappropriate for its multicultural mission. [ 24] Corlis McGee, president of Eastern Nazarene College , said, "There's a growing awareness that the connotation of the word has changed, and the Crusader no longer represents the positive message of Christian love we want to share with the world."
Other universities have decided to keep the mascot as a way to honor their histories and constantly remind students to "communicate our desire to bring the good news and cross into every situation we encountered." [ 25] The remaining college-level Crusaders are Belmont Abbey College (Belmont, North Carolina ), Christendom College (Front Royal, Virginia ), College of the Holy Cross (Worcester, Massachusetts ), [ 26] [ 27] and Madonna University (Livonia, Michigan ). [ 28]
References ↑ "President's Message" . The Word Online . Retrieved April 10, 2025 . ↑ Delaney, Tim; Madigan, Tim (February 11, 2009). The Sociology of Sports: An Introduction 211. ISBN 9780786453153 . Retrieved October 28, 2014 . The manner in which fans defend their right to hold on to and embrace their cherished symbols of the team reflects a type of totemism. [...] Team logos and mascots take on this totem quality for devout fans. It seems odd that people in the 21st century embrace totems, or symbols, with the same level of enthusiasm as primitive, pagan worshippers. However, sports often bring out the primitive inner being of people - including a passionate devotion to a belief or symbol. ↑ Hirshon, Nicholas (2020). "Social Identity Theory in Sports Fandom Research". In Dunn, Robert Andrew (ed.). Multidisciplinary Perspectives on Media Fandom . Advances in Religious and Cultural Studies. doi :10.4018/978-1-7998-3323-9 . ISBN 9781799833239 S2CID 241619027 . This chapter explores how media-attentive sports fans internalize victory and externalize defeat by charting the simultaneous developments in the 1970s of social identity theory, advanced by European social psychologists...which are rooted in a landmark study on college students wearing school-identifying apparel after the university football team won. The chapter also examines how social identity has served and can continue to be utilized as the theoretical backbone for research on mass-mediated sports fandom. ↑ Lee, Yueh-Ting; McCauley, Clark; Jussim, Lee (2013). "Stereotypes as Valid Categories of Knowledge and Human Perceptions of Group Differences" . Social and Personality Psychology Compass . 7 (7): 470– 486. doi :10.1111/spc3.12039 . ISSN 1751-9004 . Retrieved October 19, 2021 . ↑ End, Christian M.; Kretschmar, Jeff M.; Dietz-Uhler, Beth (2004). "College Students' Perceptions of Sports Fandom as a Social Status Determinant" . International Sports Journal . 8 (1): 114– 123. ISSN 1094-0480 . ProQuest 219889488 . Retrieved October 20, 2021 . ↑ "Most popular team names (active only)" . MascotDB . Retrieved October 19, 2021 . ↑ "How did DePaul get a demon as a mascot?" . DePaul University Libraries . July 25, 2008. Retrieved October 19, 2021 . ↑ "Home of the Monks" . GoMonks.com . Retrieved October 19, 2021 . ↑ "OLLU Saints Gear" . Retrieved October 19, 2021 . ↑ "Why Battling Bishops?" . Ohio Wesleyan University Battling Bishops . Retrieved October 19, 2021 . ↑ Mees, Andrew (August 8, 2014). "College unveils new athletics logo" . Bloomfield College. Retrieved October 11, 2021 . ↑ Redden, Elizabeth (March 31, 2021). "Evangel Drops Crusader Mascot" . Inside Higher Ed . Retrieved April 12, 2021 . ↑ "Lincoln Christian University introduces new athletic mascot -- the Red Lions" . Lincoln Daily News . October 1, 2009. Retrieved October 11, 2021 . ↑ Kravitz, Mark R ; Mutter, Carol A (1974). "Desegregation of Private Schools: Section 1981 as an Alternative to State Action" . Georgetown Law Journal . 62 : 1365, note 15. ISSN 0016-8092 . Retrieved May 1, 2018 . The term 'segregation academy' in the South has come to mean an institution which is one of 'a system of private schools operated on a racially segregated basis as an alternative available to white students seeking to avoid desegregated public schools.' Coffey v. State Educ. Fin. Comm'n , 296 F. Supp. 1389, 1392 (S.D. Miss. 1969).
"The quality of instruction, teachers, and physical plant varies widely among such schools. Some private white schools are well-equipped and boast an excellent staff. For example, the Briarcrest Baptist School System, Inc., in Memphis, Tennessee, offers all the standard academic subjects in addition to religious training. All of Briarcrest's staff are certified by the state, and 20 hold master's degrees. Wall Street Journal, supra note 14, at 1, col. 4. However, many southern private schools are woefully inadequate. ↑ "The Story of the Blue Devil" . Go Duke . Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved October 12, 2021 . ↑ "Wellington High School" . Retrieved October 10, 2021 . ↑ "Atkins High School" . ahs.atkinsschools.org . Retrieved February 20, 2025 . ↑ "Wayne Schools" . Retrieved October 10, 2021 . ↑ "Wynot Public Schools" . Retrieved October 10, 2021 . ↑ "Franklin High School's new mascot will be Lightning after Board approves selection" . PPS. June 12, 2019. Retrieved July 7, 2019 . ↑ Sodergren, Andrew (December 3, 2019). "Fort Myers Miracle announce name change to Mighty Mussels" . The News-Press . Retrieved October 10, 2021 . ↑ Shellnutt, Kate (February 4, 2010). "Rooting for religion: The Saints and other teams with spiritual mascots - Believe It or Not" . Houston Chronicle . Retrieved March 1, 2017 . ↑ "The Official Site of Minor League Baseball" . Minor League Baseball. Archived from the original on July 11, 2008. Retrieved March 1, 2017 . ↑ "University of the Incarnate Word" . OSAU . Retrieved October 10, 2021 . ↑ Eskridge, Larry (June 12, 2000). "Higher Education: Eagles, Crusaders, and Trolls—Oh My!" . Christianity Today . Retrieved March 1, 2017 . ↑ "The Official Site of the Holy Cross Crusaders" . GoHolyCross.com . Retrieved March 1, 2017 . ↑ "Crusader Moniker and Mascot" . College of the Holy Cross. ↑ Fitzpatrick, Frank (September 28, 2017). "A new college crusade aims at controversial mascots" . The Philadelphia Inquirer . ↑ "The Making of a Mascot" . Alvernia University . January 1, 2018. Retrieved October 10, 2021 . ↑ Herreraom, Hayden (September 16, 2020). "Still the Beacons: Bushnell athletics gets used to not saying 'NCU' . KVAL. Retrieved October 10, 2021 . ↑ Hendrix, Sheridan (September 30, 2021). "Goodbye crusaders, hello comets! Capital University announces new mascot" . The Columbus Dispatch . Retrieved October 10, 2021 . ↑ "Clarke Crusaders to become Clarke Pride" . Clarke Pride . February 2, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2021 . ↑ "Eastern Nazarene drops Crusader mascot" . Patriot Ledger . May 14, 2009. Retrieved October 10, 2021 . ↑ "Crusaders No More: What Arab Christians and Muslims Think of Mascot Changes" . Christianity Today . September 9, 2021. Retrieved October 10, 2021 . ↑ "North Greenville Seeks to Honor History, Blaze Trail With New Mascot" . North Greenville University . April 30, 2024. Retrieved September 23, 2025 . ↑ "NNU is excited to announce new university mascot" . Northwest Nazarene University . October 16, 2017. Retrieved October 10, 2021 . ↑ "Crusader Mascot Retired for New Look" . News Wise . July 2, 2003. Retrieved October 10, 2021 . ↑ Krize, Nikki (October 27, 2015). "Susquehanna University Drops 'Crusader' from Nickname" . WNEP. Retrieved October 10, 2021 . ↑ "Valparaiso University Unveils New Nickname" . Valpo Athletics . August 10, 2021. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved October 10, 2021 . ↑ Rivenburg, Roy (October 10, 2000). "Wheaton's Inoffensive Mascot Comes From Above" . Los Angeles Times . Retrieved October 10, 2021 . This page is based on this
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