By Abe Rafols
The Eastern New Mexico Athletics Department announced this week that, starting in the Fall 2014 seasons, the university’s sports teams will have a new nickname: the Tumbleweeds.
“We have been looking for a name that truly captures the spirit of this region and this university,” said ENMU President Steven Gamble. “Nothing says ‘Eastern New Mexico’ quite like Tumbleweeds. Just look outside. You can probably see a tumbleweed tumbling across campus right now.”
Athletic Director Jeff Geiser said the name change was long overdue.
“Our men’s teams were named after a bus line,” he said. “Sure, we trot out Vic and Tory, but everyone has heard the story of the real origin of the nickname from a President’s Ambassador.”
Greyhound Bus Lines were founded in 1914 in Hibbing, Minn. The company currently is headquartered in Dallas.
Geiser said that ENMU has wanted a gender-neutral sports name for years.
“Greyhounds for boy’s teams, and Zias for girl’s teams can get pretty confusing for our fans,” he said. “It’s not as bad as the West Texas A&M Buffaloes–everyone knows that the plural of Buffalo is Bison—but it can be pretty confusing nonetheless.”
The name change also could serve as a moneymaking venture for ENMU, Gamble said.
“I think every student, faculty member, or administrator has at least one or two ENMU T-shirts or other apparel,” he said. “Anything branded with a Greyhound or Zia logo will soon be obsolete and should be replaced by a piece Tumbleweed clothing.”
Proceeds from Tumbleweed apparel will go toward the new multipurpose stadium on campus, Gamble said.
“If every member of the university community buys a Tumbleweed-themed T-shirt, then ENMU’s stadium could rival the place Jerry Jones built for the Dallas Cowboys,” he said.
The Greyhound name is common among sports teams. Two professional teams—Sault Ste. Marie of the Ontario Hockey League, and Ohio Valley of United Indoor Football—use the name. A handful of colleges and universities also go by the Greyhounds: Assumption College (Massachusetts), the University of Indianapolis, Loyola University-Maryland, Moberly Area Community College (Missouri), Moravian College (Pennsylvania), Yankton College (South Dakota), Athol Murray College of Notre Dame (Saskatchewan, Canada), Mid-South Community College (Arkansas), Fort Scott Community College (Kansas), and Kearsney College (South Africa).
“Those all sound like loser schools,” said senior Tom Bowede. “I’m glad we’re not going to be associated with them any more.”
Not all students, however, are excited about the change.
“Tumbleweeds in popular culture typically represent desolate, dry, humorless places,” said one sophomore, who asked to remain confidential for fear of reprisals from pro-tumbleweed advocates. “I don’t think we want ENMU associated with those adjectives.”
One student group has organized a “Save Our Greyhound. Save Our Zia” petition campaign. However, students’ voices most likely will not carry much weight on this issue because