Oregon State and U. of Oregon Drop ‘Civil War’ Nickname for Sports Rivalry

Oregon State University and the University of Oregon announced this week that they will no longer use the term ‘Civil War’ to describe the sports rivalry between the two institutions. The term had been used to describe the rivalry since the 1930s, but will be dumped “in recognition that Black Lives Matter.”

In an open letter posted to Facebook, Oregon State University announced that it is abandoning the term “Civil War,” which has been used to describe the school’s athletic rivalry with the University of Oregon since before World War II.

Oregon State University President Edward J. Ray said in the statement that the two institutions have waited too long to abandon the rivalry’s nickname.

“Changing this name is overdue as it represents a connection to a war fought to perpetuate slavery,” Ray wrote. “While not intended as reference to the actual Civil War, OSU sports competition should not provide any misconstrued reference to this divisive episode in American history.”

Ray confirmed that the change came in response to complaints by parties at both universities.

“In recent years, some students, faculty, alumni, student-athletes, OSU stakeholders and community members have questioned the appropriateness of this term. That we did not act before to change the name was a mistake,” the letter reads. “We do so now, along with other important actions to advance equal opportunity and justice for all and in recognition that Black Lives Matter.”

Former University of Oregon football player Dennis Dixon, who played in the NFL from 2018 to 2014, ignited a conversation on social media about the use of the term.

Breitbart News reported in June 2019 that students at the University of Oregon were calling for the removal of a campus statue of an American pioneer. The students argued that the statue was offensive to Native Americans.

“The pioneer as a symbol is really the championing of the mysticism around Native American history and the myths that people believe that this land was uninhabited and uncivilized and those things we know aren’t true now,” one protester explained.

Stay tuned to Breitbart News for more campus updates.