What's In A Name: SMU's evolution to the Cardinals

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota Athletics

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF SAINT MARY'S UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA CARDINAL ATHLETICS

The Saint Mary’s University athletic teams are nicknamed the Cardinals, represented by a sports logo and a feathery mascot, Big Red. All alumni and employees of Saint Mary’s are also considered Cardinals.

The athletic logo and nickname have taken many twists and turns over the years. The first nickname was “Maroon and White” or “Maroon Men,” reflecting the color of the athletic uniforms. When the school color changed to red in 1926, the local media of the 1920s and ’30s described Saint Mary’s teams as either “Red Men” or “Cardinals.” At some point, Redmen stuck as a nickname, and the Native American image and mascot were introduced to illustrate that name.

Saint Mary’s became co-educational in 1969, and the women’s varsity athletic teams were given a separate nickname, Cardinals. An internal debate about the use of Redmen began in the early 1970s. In 1989, following a request by a Minnesota Native American organization, Saint Mary’s was one of the first few institutions in the country to change its name and logo. Since then, many other universities and high schools have followed suit.

Saint Mary’s assigned a unified Cardinals nickname to both men and women athletic teams, and this time, a bird was officially adopted as a logo and mascot.