The NCAA’s announcement last Friday, which would ban the
appearance of school mascots in certain venues that further
racially and culturally insensitive stereotypes, is a good step for
the collegiate sporting world.
The NCAA Executive Committee adopted a new policy Aug. 5 that
would prohibit schools from “displaying hostile and abusive
racial/ethnic/national origin mascots, nicknames and imagery at any
of the 88 NCAA championships.” The rules would primarily
affect schools that tote caricatures of Native Americans as their
mascots, which have long offended many Native American groups.
The committee’s decision applies to 18 colleges and
universities, including teams with mascots ranging from the
University of Illinois Fighting Illini to the Southeastern Oklahoma
State University Savages.
While the mascot of SOSU seems self-explanatory in its offensive
nature, the Fighting Illini and many other teams that have
tribe-specific names, such as the Utes or the Choctaws were
included on the list not because of their names, but because of
their logos and mascots.
The committee is not trying to dictate what universities and
colleges can have as their mascots, and none of the institutions
are being forced to change their logos or uniforms. They just
won’t be allowed to brandish those logos that have been
deemed “hostile and abusive” during post-season
play.
This attempt at what some may disregard as mere a gesture to
political correctness is actually more than that. It is the
recognition that, while all Americans identify with Native
Americans as being a part of a shared national history and culture,
they are also a group of people that is as deserving of respect as
every other.
The question is bound to be raised: What is a “hostile and
abusive” portrayal, and where does the line get drawn? Many
are going to criticize the wording of the decision, the apparent
arbitrariness of the schools singled out, and even the goals the
NCAA is striving for.
Alumni from the universities and colleges identified by the NCAA
are quick to point out that the mascots celebrate Native American
heritage, sometimes even bringing attention to lesser-known
tribes.
But the NCAA should not cave-in to the critics. For once, it has
made a good decision about college athletics.
Perhaps more schools could lift a page from San Diego State
University’s playbook when it comes to mascots. When
protesters decried the Aztecs’ logo as politically incorrect,
the university consulted a team of students and faculty who were
experts on the Aztec people before unveiling a more culturally
sensitive logo.
Now, the new Aztec “ambassador” not only appears at
sporting events ““ he also travels to local grade schools to
educate students about Aztec history and heritage.
Granted, San Diego State might have gone a bit over the top.
After all, students go to sporting events to be entertained, not
educated. But they certainly don’t go to be offended by their
school’s mascot.