All the Division One Mascots That are More Offensive Than Valparaiso’s Crusaders

I was surprised and disappointed to hear that Valparaiso University is retiring the crusader. I had not thought the mascot was an issue I when attended school from 2016-2020, and during my time on campus there was never any talk about the mascot being controversial until maybe a small group of people opposed it at the end of that timeframe. Therefore it seems inappropriate that a decision as big as this was decided upon so hastily by an interim president no less who surely has better ways to spend the university’s money during a financial crisis than to do an entire university rebranding.

I always had fun cheering on the crusaders in the ARC. I never once felt like the mascot of my school was offensive. If the mascot is offensive by all means I would agree with a change, but the majority of students and alumni I talked to do not see it as a problem. I decided to compile a list of all the division one mascots that are more offensive in some way shape or form than a crusader. This list doesn’t include the various spartans, raiders, trojans, and knights as one could argue a fair case for or against them. Even despite that though there are still 30 mascots who one could have an actual legitimate gripe about before a crusader.

Confederate Figures

• Ole Miss Rebels
• UNLV Runnin Rebels

Devils

• Duke and Central Connecticut State Blue Devils
• Arizona State Sun Devils
• Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils

Demons

• DePaul Blue Demons
• Wake Forest Demon Deacons
• Northwestern State Demons

Riverboat Gamblers

• Evansville Purple Aces

Native American and Indigenous Groups

• Florida State Seminoles
• Central Michigan Chippewas
• William and Mary Tribe
• San Diego State Aztecs
• Bradley Braves
• Alcorn State Braves
• Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders
• Hawaii Rainbow Warriors

Vikings

• Cleveland State Vikings
• Portland State Vikings
• Northern Kentucky Norse

Pirates

• Seton Hall Pirates
• East Carolina Pirates
• Hampton Pirates
• Charleston Southern Buccaneers
• East Tennessee State Buccaneers

Other

• Notre Dame Fighting Irish
• Presbyterian Blue Hose (Medieval Scottish Warriors)
• New Orleans Privateers
• La Salle Explorers

Lastly, the other division one university with a Crusader mascot College of the Holy Cross has not and has no plans to change their mascot. The point behind this article is to point out that if all these mascots are good enough for other division one schools the crusaders should be fine for Valparaiso.

By: Ethan Hennessy

Cover Picture from StadiumJourney.com