William & Mary chooses the griffin as its new mascot
Eighteen months after William & Mary appointed a committee of alumni, students, faculty and staff to search for a new mascot, school officials have finally announced their selection.
Their choice is the griffin, a mythical creature with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion. It emerged the winner from a group that included four other finalists: a pug, a phoenix, a wren and royalty, represented by a king and a queen.
"The Griffin has joined the Tribe," said William & Mary President Taylor Reveley, who unveiled the new mascot Tuesday. "With its arrival, we now have a mascot that unites strength with intelligence, recalls our royal origins, and speaks to our deep roots in American history."
William and Mary began searching for a mascot when the NCAA ruled that its green and gold feather logo was offensive to Native Americans. The school will use this as its new logo, but remain known as the Tribe, the nickname it has used since the 1980s.
If you're still a little confused as to what a griffin has to do with "The Tribe," I don't blame you, but consider that it could be worse. At least William & Mary didn't go with Admiral Ackbar as a mascot like a certain SEC school is considering.
