A Division I athletics program will be getting a new nickname in 2023 amid pressure to change its current one.
On Wednesday, The George Washington University (GWU) announced that it will be dropping the nickname “Colonials,” which it has used for over a century.
“The George Washington University Board of Trustees has decided to discontinue the use of the Colonials moniker based on the recommendation of the Special Committee on the Colonials Moniker. Both the board and special committee ultimately determined that given the division among the community about the moniker, it can no longer serve its purpose as a name that unifies,” the school said in a statement.
As with any nickname change these days, there is praise and disdain aplenty to be found on social media. Some are furious that GWU bowed to pressure while others are praising them for correcting what is seen to be a mistake of a name:
GWU has several athletics programs that have found plenty of success through the years.
Their men’s basketball program has made the NCAA Tournament 11 times, reaching the Sweet 16 in 1994. In 2016 they won the NIT Tournament.
The women’s basketball program has found even more postseason success, reaching the NCAA Tournament 18 times. They’ve been to the Sweet 16 four times and the Elite Eight back in 1997.
As for their men’s soccer team, they’ve won five conference titles and have appeared in the NCAA Tournament three times, reaching the Sweet 16 in 1989.
Those teams will have a new name to look forward to next year.