College football is unique for a number of reasons, chief among them the pageantry and pride shown for programs by alumni and fans alike. No amount of pageantry would be complete without the role of mascots.
There are over 134 different teams in FBS, with as many varied backgrounds as there are teams. Uniquely, Eastern Michigan is one of four schools represented by the Eagle at the Division I level.
How did the mascot come to be, and in what ways does the history help tell the story that the Eagle now represents? Let’s take a look at the history.
Who(or What) is the Eastern Michigan Eagles Mascot?
Founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School, the Eastern Michigan Eagles went through multiple name changes and mascot variations before settling on Eastern Michigan in 1959. The first iteration of a mascot was the “Normalites” or the “Men from Ypsi,” as the school is located in Ypsilanti, Mich.
Following a contest in October 1929, the school selected the nickname “Hurons” from many entries submitted. The name was selected as a representation of the Native American tribe that had inhabited the area. It was used for over 60 years with various iterations of Native American imagery used as logos and mascots during the period.
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As was the case with several other circumstances, in the ’80s and ’90s, the school became concerned that the imagery used was construed as culturally insensitive or outright offensive.
In 1991, after much debate and some controversy, the Eastern Michigan Board of Regents voted to change the school’s name and mascot. The school received input from multiple Native American groups and formed a committee to study the issue.
Why is the Eagle the Mascot?
After the vote, Eastern Michigan officially adopted the “Eagles” as the new school nickname and mascot. The eagle was selected in part because of its association with American ideals and the attributes of strength, courage, and freedom.
In 1994, “Swoop” was created as a cartoon form of an American bald eagle, one of several Swoop mascots to be used by collegiate athletic programs.
The eagle is typically seen wearing an EMU sports jersey and is well-known for visiting EMU sporting events.
The change in mascot was not met without controversy, as some supporters felt that it erased a portion of the school’s history and tradition.
A compromise was made by adding a small Huron logo to the band uniforms as a nod to the school’s heritage. The move was met with mixed reviews, but Eastern Michigan deserves credit for being one of the first schools to initiate discussion on the topic of mascot and cultural sensitivity.
Eastern Michigan’s mascot history depicts the continued balance between recognizing a school’s history and tradition while also establishing a unique identity.
The “Normalites” was a nod to the university’s primary mission as a teacher training school early on, with the change to Hurons and then Eagles providing an interesting and unique perspective on the evolving landscape of college athletics.
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