William And Mary's Logo Sheds Indian Feathers

NCAA ruled school kid keep Tribe nickname, but not feathers in logo

Dec. 6, 2007

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) -The College of William and Mary's new logo sheds the two feathers that the NCAA deemed offensive to American Indians.

The logo revealed Thursday updates the familiar "W&M" monogram and uses the school's more traditional colors of green and gold instead of the more recent green and yellow. The logo, in four similar designs, will be used by the athletic department and campus-wide on business cards, stationary and other items.

Last year, the NCAA ruled William and Mary could keep its Tribe nickname but could not display its athletic logo with feathers at NCAA championship events or host NCAA tournament games where the logo would be shown.

After the school lost an appeal, it turned to a committee including faculty, staff, students and alumni to develop a new design.

"The passing months have given us no greater esteem for the NCAA's misguided decision to prohibit the feathers in our past logo," President Gene R. Nichol said in a statement. But he said he was pleased with the new design.

In 2004, the NCAA began reviewing American Indian-themed mascots, nicknames and logos used by more than 30 schools.