Union College is seeking new nickname for its athletic teams

PHOTOGRAPHER: Stan Hudy

Union College's Cal Mell (3) defends RPI's Jake Gagnon in front of Dutchmen goalie Connor Murphy in the second period of Saturday's Mayor's cup game at MVP Arena.

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SCHENECTADY — The era of the Union College Dutchmen/Dutchwomen is coming to an end.

The college announced Wednesday that it is looking for a new nickname for its college athletic teams.

On its website, the college explained why it’s looking for a new nickname.

“We are hoping that a new nickname brings with it opportunities to create a mascot that will serve as a dynamic visual representation of the new name, and which would be something we could use to promote the College in a variety of ways — including on merchandise, social media and at athletic events,” the college said.

The college explained that while New York is associated with Dutch heritage, the region also is the ancestral homeland of the Iroquois Confederacy, which is thought to date back to the 15th century, well before the first Dutch explorers arrived.

The college also said the use of the Dutchmen nickname began in the first half of the 20th century, when local sportswriters used it as a colorful way to Union’s athletic teams. The Dutchwomen nickname began in the 1970s, when women were admitted to the college.

Union is soliciting potential nicknames at www.union.edu/communications/nickname. The deadline is Feb. 24.

The new nickname will be used beginning with the 2023-24 academic year in September.