New Valpo Team Name Ideas

[valpo64]

It's a beautiful thing...the second new t-shirt design will show the dogs lifting their leg on the side of the beacon.

[vu72]

Assuming the new mascot is a dog -correct.   Anyone have any pictures of this since it has been referenced to something from nickelodeon.


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https://www.valpoathletics.com/athletics/news/2022-23/21420/beacon-blaze-selected-as-valparaiso-university-mascots/

[vuny98]

Assuming the new mascot is a dog -correct.   Anyone have any pictures of this since it has been referenced to something from nickelodeon. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

https://www.valpoathletics.com/athletics/news/2022-23/21420/beacon-blaze-selected-as-valparaiso-university-mascots/

WTF is this.

We have gone from a Crusader, a fierce warrior, to a pair of dogs that like pets behind the ears, licking faces and nachos...
Clearly students involved in the furry community had some part in this.

[vu72]

Assuming the new mascot is a dog -correct.   Anyone have any pictures of this since it has been referenced to something from nickelodeon. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

https://www.valpoathletics.com/athletics/news/2022-23/21420/beacon-blaze-selected-as-valparaiso-university-mascots/

WTF is this.

We have gone from a Crusader, a fierce warrior, to a pair of dogs that like pets behind the ears, licking faces and nachos...
Clearly students involved in the furry community had some part in this.

Kinda like the salukis! Or those scary Purple Aces?? Or those trees from ISU!  Or ... It's a mascot.

[SlimJimJZ]

Bryan Flynn with yet again with amazing concept design. Just another reminder that the University has dropped the ball every step of the way of this rebrand. (I would link the tweets here, but I am having an issue posting external links - you can find him @brydfly on Twitter)

Instead, the University has given us not one, but two forgettable dogs that have nothing to do with the Lighthouse artwork/theme they have introduced.

[vu84v2]

Assuming the new mascot is a dog -correct.   Anyone have any pictures of this since it has been referenced to something from nickelodeon. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

https://www.valpoathletics.com/athletics/news/2022-23/21420/beacon-blaze-selected-as-valparaiso-university-mascots/

WTF is this.

We have gone from a Crusader, a fierce warrior, to a pair of dogs that like pets behind the ears, licking faces and nachos...
Clearly students involved in the furry community had some part in this.

I find it difficult to believe that a group of students that is representative of the entire student population came up with two cartoonish dogs as mascots.

[SlimJimJZ]

Assuming the new mascot is a dog -correct.   Anyone have any pictures of this since it has been referenced to something from nickelodeon. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

WTF is this. We have gone from a Crusader, a fierce warrior, to a pair of dogs that like pets behind the ears, licking faces and nachos... Clearly students involved in the furry community had some part in this.

I find it difficult to believe that a group of students that is representative of the entire student population came up with two cartoonish dogs as mascots.

I'm a fairly recent graduate and former student athlete. I am not surprised whatsoever at this outcome.

There is a massive disconnect between students and student-athletes at the school and the rift will grow even further after this rebrand. Only when they share the same seats at the table will progress be made.

[Valpo1993]

The problem is they let students get involved with these decisions.  They don't think of the ramifications of these decisions.   From all the conversations I have had with alumni I graduated with none of them like the name change.   My father-in-law graduated in 1967.   Him and his friends were against it as well.   I would love to see the results of the survey of the name change.   I would bet it didn't support the change.  VU should have consult with a marketing consulting group about this.   I can't imagine a professional consultant suggesting this.


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[valpopal]

The university announced it was dropping the Crusader and seeking a new mascot on February 11, 2021, though many knew the decision had been made much earlier than that time. Here we are almost exactly one and a half years later, and with all that time the best the administration could decide is to have a "Beacons" name strangely paired with a couple of silly children's cartoon dogs as the mascot image. As hundreds of responses on Facebook and other social media indicate, this is a major failure and an unforced error. Many of us have seen what a competent professional designer could create that would not be an embarrassment. In fact, some of the fine examples appear on this page as evidenced by the lantern and the V with lit chapel icons. Therefore, this fan forum and its administrators have done a better job of highlighting successful Beacon imagery than the entire administrative, communications, and marketing process at Valparaiso University! Likewise, a better mascot choice could have been easily achieved, as Bryan Flynn shows in his Twitter post (though he is in error concluding that students voted for the dog mascots): 1559229698344996867[/tweet]][tweet]1559229698344996867[/tweet]     

[elephtheria47]

I still cant wrap my head around this no matter how hard i try. We got rid of the crusader and a good logo to have a) beacons b) a cheesy chess queen acting like a lighthouse and an "alternate logo" of a lantern that has an entire blank side/white splotch on the right side to finally c) introduce our mascots as two cartoon dogs that have a "historical reference" to a beloved dog from the 40s.

I will cringe any time i see these logos or mascots anywhere on televesion, sports highlights, or in the community. I definitely wont be buying any Valpo gear moving forward with any of these logos or designs incorporated.

[usc4valpo]

This mascot decision is absolutely embarrassing. When Valpo changed the nickname to Crusader to Beacon, I was indifferent about it. I really didn't care - I thought Valpo had bigger problems to focus their energy than a new nickname  - low enrollment, budget, getting quality students, competing with state schools with more funds, etc.

But when I saw this mascot decision, I really have to wonder if the students making this woke (I have to say that and tell it like it is) decision understand the ramifications on how it effects the Valpo brand. I saw some responses and with this mascot decision on Facebook, and I speculate an indirect initiative to move athletics to Div. 3.  This has been brought up on the board previously, but now I can see it.

[chgovalpofan]

I wouldn't blame these awful decisions on being woke.  That is ridiculous.  It is one thing to decide the Crusader is not the best name for us (which I personally struggle with, but okay) to selecting an awful name and an even worse mascot.  This is so embarrassing.  Yet they continue to have the awful brown and gold colors.  The entire situation is ridiculous especially considering they need to attract MORE students to the school. Trust me this is doing the exact opposite.  Why aren't professionals handling this?  This is so important to the future of the school and the decisions are completely destroying it.  I don't know ANYONE who is willingly wearing the Beacons and definitely NOT this joke of a mascot.

[AlaskaCrusader19]

This is unbelievable. This is marginal at best for an elementary school. For a Division I institution? Pathetic. The school isn't exactly thriving. Going woke leads to going broke. We'll see how this goes, but I'm not optimistic. There probably won't be too many people in the ARC to see these dogs though.

[valpopal]

There is one way the university administrators could reverse the overwhelmingly negative responses to the dogs mascot decision and imaginatively turn the tide of opinion. They could follow the "New Coke" model. (If you are not old enough to remember, Google it.) The University would need to be courageous and step outside the box by publicly admitting they made a mistake and that they should have conducted a focus group with alumni before any announcement. Imagine the positive attention VU could receive for such a frank and transparent move. Headlines could read: "Valparaiso University Listens to Its Constituents."


This would be refreshing and could reinstate goodwill with many. Such a novel approach would initiate national attention in the media. By making such an unusual gesture to the alumni community, the university would also garner greater attention to its revamped (and hopefully much better) selection; the resulting publicity and promotion would enhance sales of merchandise and increase awareness of the university brand. Additionally, Valparaiso University seeks to be different and to stand out from other schools, something such honesty and openness would assure and could be used as a central selling point in recruiting students or soliciting donations.


Of course, this direction would require a bit of humility, acceptance of any loss from mascot costumes or other products already in place (maybe they could be auctioned as rare items), a more professional approach to establishing an alternative mascot to the cartoon dogs, and a calculated strategy for a communications campaign; therefore, the likelihood of it happening is extremely low. 

[valpo64]

Come on, Valparaiso University Administration!  Get you act together and quit embarrassing yourself and our university!

[usc4valpo]

Students created this, and students learn, and students can learn from mistakes. These decisions effect the brand of Valparaiso University. Time for a come to Jesus session with all stakeholders to do what's right. And no, I am not one of those that is pushing to bring back the Crusader name, so no "ok Boomer" remarks please.

[valpopal]

Students created this, and students learn, and students can learn from mistakes.

A word of caution: let's not conclude this was totally a student creation. The university announcements have carefully and craftily referenced a "student-led committee." I have served on university student-led committees that also included faculty and administration representatives who were very influential and impacted meeting discussions or ultimate direction of decisions. I would like to know the complete committee composition before placing this debacle solely on the shoulders of the students. In any case, I agree that all can learn from mistakes!

[NativeCheesehead]

As others have mentioned, the lack of transparency has been the most frustrating part of this from Day 1. The only hope I have is that the boondoggle precedes our current admin. Honestly I just don't care anymore. I can take getting clowned for a sh**** mascot if we're holding the MVC Trophy. Call us Beacons, Beagles, or Blowhards for all I care, just fix the damn program.

But let's credit where credit is due. It's an extraordinary feat in this day and age to have an idea that pisses off so many diverse groups of people that may not see eye to eye on many issues.

[vu84v2]

Students created this, and students learn, and students can learn from mistakes.

A word of caution: let's not conclude this was totally a student creation. The university announcements have carefully and craftily referenced a "student-led committee." I have served on university student-led committees that also included faculty and administration representatives who were very influential and impacted meeting discussions or ultimate direction of decisions. I would like to know the complete committee composition before placing this debacle solely on the shoulders of the students. In any case, I agree that all can learn from mistakes!

Building on Valpopal's post, there is also a lot of influence from selecting who is on the committee. Were any marketing students selected for the committee, since they would have valuable knowledge? Were all of the colleges represented and was there relatively equal representation among the colleges?

Why wasn't the announcement made, or separately supported via a press release by the committee? The wording of students' involvement in these decisions seems to be cleverly worded.

I never liked the Crusader, but also felt that changing should not have been a priority. Team name/mascot changes have often been problematic for universities because little is gained. Further, it seems that Valpo is failing because they literally do not want to offend anyone instead of only allowing solutions that promote Valpo.

[4throwfan]

I typically abhor when the board incorporates political or quasi-political conversations.  But I'm going to do that.  When I first saw the mascots, my first reaction was that the University has followed 'woke' trends at the nationwide university level by coming up with completely sanitized mascots, devoid of any possible flare or gutsy character.  When reading the descriptions of Beacon and Blaize (which for my generation is a typical stripper's name), the thing that I noticed is that they gave each a genderless name, and omitted any references to gender.  Complete issue du jour sanitization.  These two things are guaranteed to neither impress nor offend anyone, or to endear any following.

When I showed my wife the picture of the dogs on the website, she busted out laughing, and it took me about five minutes to convince her that it wasn't a joke.

I later determined that she was right all along.  It is a joke. I just wish it were funny.

[usc4valpo]

4throwfan - my sharing of this story with my wife and daughter were similar. My daughter who is a HS senior thought it was stupid. My brother who worked in graphic design thought it was ridicules and poorly done.

Again I don't care about the Crusader name change, but these nick. jr. characters is just too much to handle. I'm tired of being the brunt of jokes recently. 

If we have a dog mascot, I'd rather have Triumph.

[vuny98]

I typically abhor when the board incorporates political or quasi-political conversations.  But I'm going to do that.  When I first saw the mascots, my first reaction was that the University has followed 'woke' trends at the nationwide university level by coming up with completely sanitized mascots, devoid of any possible flare or gutsy character.  When reading the descriptions of Beacon and Blaize (which for my generation is a typical stripper's name), the thing that I noticed is that they gave each a genderless name, and omitted any references to gender.  Complete issue du jour sanitization.  These two things are guaranteed to neither impress nor offend anyone, or to endear any following. When I showed my wife the picture of the dogs on the website, she busted out laughing, and it took me about five minutes to convince her that it wasn't a joke. I later determined that she was right all along.  It is a joke. I just wish it were funny.

In their effort to not offend anyone, they have in fact offended me as a fan.

[crusadermoe]

The program is going to the dogs.  And we all seem to have a bone to pick. Maybe we should just let sleeping dogs lie.

[valpotx]

It's just so bad, that I don't have the desire to add anything other than this decision sucks

[usc4valpo]

Someone needs to be held accountable for this embarrassing decision.