See Also Golden Eagle

The nickname currently assigned to the Marquette athletic teams was forced down the throats of outraged students and alums in 1994. The issue still rankles anybody with any sense of Marquette's glorious athletic history. So outrageous was the decree from the university's president that, today…in 2007, wearing an item of clothing with an image of the current mascot is considered at best, antagonistic…at worse, blasphemous. Many current students, who were barely out of diapers when the decision was handed down, can still be seen proudly wearing Warriors shirts.

In the more than 10 years since the fateful decision and despite renewed success of the men's basketball team, the current name has never been embraced and “Warriors!” chants still reverberate around whatever arena the team competes. If anything, the recent success of the men's basketball program serves as a near constant reminder of that dark day in 1994…a day that created more than a fair amount of anger toward the university.

Two prominent members of the school's board of trustees bravely came forward in 2004 and offered large donations if the school would get rid of the name that so many despise. Miraculously, these same two trustees joined in a “unanimous” vote to change the team name to the “Gold.” The trustees quickly reversed their decision when they were practically burned in effigy.

Warrior T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats and decals continue to be much more prominent at Marquette athletic events than those with the name that remains a giant black-eye on Marquette athletics.