Evangel University to retire university’s Crusader mascot

Evangel University’s Interim President Dr. George O. Wood, its Board of Trustees, and the President’s Cabinet have unanimously decided to retire the university’s Crusader mascot. The Crusader has been the official mascot since the school’s inception in 1955.

“The world has changed significantly since the 1950s, when the Evangel community, intending to depict strength, honor, and commitment to the faith, first identified a Crusader as the school’s mascot,” said Dr. Wood.

“Today, we recognize that the Crusader often inhibits the ability of students and alumni to proudly represent the university in their areas of global work and ministry.”

This decision was the result of a lengthy and thoughtful review process, including ad hoc committees and focus groups consisting of faculty, staff, students, and alumni going back as far as 2007. The overwhelming recommendation of the groups was to retire the Crusader mascot.

“I fully support the decision made by Evangel to retire the Crusader mascot and identify a new mascot that will serve the university well in the future,” said Dennis McDonald, athletics director.

The EU community will have the opportunity to offer suggestions on a new mascot, and a committee comprised of students, alumni, faculty, and athletic staff will be created to guide the process.

For a list of FAQs related to this decision, visit evangel.edu/mascot.