West Georgia picks Wolves as new mascot

CARROLLTON - West Georgia University has deposited its Braves nickname in the same bin with such former monikers as Aggies, Bull Pups and Goats.

On Thursday, West Georgia's new mascot Wolves was announced as the school moved away from its Native American nickname that was frowned upon by the NCAA.

West Georgia president Beheruz N. Sethna accepted the recommendation of a task force that chose Wolves over two other finalists: Patriots and RedHawks.

``There are many outstanding aspects of the Wolves: the alliteration, the fact that many of our students like the name, the fact that only four colleges or universities none in this area use the Wolves, and the opportunities for use in other aspects of campus life,'' Sethna said.

``Perhaps the one that appeals to me most is that I have this vision of 10,000 fans in our new stadium or arena letting out a huge howl every time there is a touchdown or a 3-pointer or a game win.''

The NCAA has ruled schools will be barred from wearing uniforms with their Indian references at NCAA championships. Schools with nicknames deemed offensive by the NCAA will be prohibited from hosting those events as of Feb. 1.

Some schools, including Florida State which uses Seminoles as its mascot have successfully appealed to keep their current nickname. Others, including Bradley in Illinois which also uses Braves are still appealing.

The decision to drop the name Braves was not supported by all West Georgia fans and alumni, but school officials said there were many reasons to make the switch. One obvious reason, according to athletic director Ed Murphy, is the name Braves carries far more recognition as representing Atlanta's professional baseball team.

``West Georgia athletics is moving into an entirely new era and as we go down the road toward the future of our athletics program, this move is part of it,'' Murphy said. ``The timing is right for this change.''

West Georgia will be the only member of the Gulf South Conference to use Wolves as its mascot. The name also is not used by any area high school teams.

Murphy said the school's teams will be called the Braves through this academic year. The new name will be implemented at the beginning of fall semester.