The Illini mascot is a controversial and widely debated topic. The mascot represents the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and has been through various iterations throughout its history. The current mascot, Chief Illiniwek, was retired in 2007 after facing criticism for perpetuating racial stereotypes and disrespecting Native American cultures. The use of Native American iconography as a sports mascot has long been a contentious issue. Many argue that it is offensive, disrespectful, and perpetuates harmful stereotypes. They argue that such mascots trivialize and stereotype Native American culture and history, reducing it to a caricature for the enjoyment of fans.

Illinois chancellor announces process to pick new Illini mascot

If you were bothered by the lack of a costumed character roaming the sidelines at Illinois football and basketball games, your troubles are over.

University of Illinois chancellor Barbara J. Wilson announced during a campus meeting Monday that the school is beginning the process of choosing a new mascot, according to a report from the Champaign News-Gazette's Julie Wurth.

Mind you, this isn't signalling the return of Chief Illiniwek, who wasn't a masoct anyway, the university classifying the Chief as a symbol. No, this is something new, and the result would figure to be more in the vein of the cartoonish figures celebrating touchdowns and crowd surfing at football and basketball games.

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Wilson endorsed the recommendation from an Illinois Student Senate ad hoc committee that recently urged the campus to move forward with a mascot. She met with the group on Friday.

She plans to form a committee of 10 to 12 people that will draw up a process and a timeline. It will include representatives from all the stakeholders involved — students, faculty, staff, alumni and community members.

Wilson, who had already signaled her support for the student effort, said last week that any new mascot would embody the values and traditions of the campus.

Chief Illiniwek was retired in 2007 amid concerns that the costumed performer was offensive to Native Americans. The Illinois marching band still plays the music the Chief used to perform to, and people wearing the costume have appeared in the stands during games while the music played. All that, of course, is unofficial, and while many Illini alumi and fans continue to hope the university will bring back Chief Illiniwek, they will have to settle for whatever this new mascot ends up being.

Certainly, Wilson seems aware that this is a sensitive subject for many.

Illinois is currently one of just three Big Ten schools without a costumed mascot, Indiana and Michigan being the others. Iowa boasts Herky Hawkeye, Maryland has Testudo, Michigan State has Sparty, Minnesota has Goldy Gopher, Nebraska has Herbie Husker (and Li'l Red), Northwestern has Willie Wildcat, Ohio State has Brutus Buckeye, Penn State has the Nittany Lion, Purdue has Purdue Pete, Rutgers has the Scarlet Knight and Wisconsin has Bucky Badger.

University of Illinois to drop Chief Illiniwek mascot

They argue that such mascots trivialize and stereotype Native American culture and history, reducing it to a caricature for the enjoyment of fans. On the other hand, supporters of the Illini mascot often argue that it was intended to honor and celebrate Native American culture. They claim that it is an important part of the university's history and tradition, and that removing it would erase an important aspect of the school's identity.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- On a fall day in 1926, University of Illinois student Lester Leutwiler danced onto a football field in Philadelphia at halftime of an Illini football game.

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- On a fall day in 1926, University of Illinois student Lester Leutwiler danced onto a football field in Philadelphia at halftime of an Illini football game.

Wearing a homemade American Indian costume, Leutwiler was the first Chief Illiniwek, and began an 81-year-old tradition of performances by the mascot at football and basketball games.

Under pressure from the NCAA, activists and some students and faculty, the university announced Friday that current chief Dan Maloney's performance at a Wednesday basketball game will be the chief's last dance.

The decision follows two decades of votes, studies and committee meetings aimed at easing campus division over the mascot, which some American Indians and others view as an insult and some alumni and students see as a cherished tradition.

The NCCA ended up forcing the university's hand.

Friday's decision ends NCAA sanctions that had prevented Illinois from hosting postseason sports since 2005. That pressure, Board of Trustees Chairman Lawrence Eppley said, made a tough decision easier.

"I liked the chief for years," he said in an interview on campus. "When you change your focus from what you want to what's best for the university, it's not so hard."

Chief supporters see the decision as the bitter end of a proud tradition.

"That means that we will have a museum Indian," said Howard Wakeland, president of the Honor the Chief Society, a group of chief supporters. "Put him in a cage and walk by and say that's our symbol . That seriously kills the real heart of the chief."

Illinois still will be able to use the name Illini because it's short for Illinois and the school can use the term Fighting Illini, because it's considered a reference to the team's competitive spirit, school officials said.

The school could create a new mascot, Eppley said, provided it doesn't use American Indian imagery. But the board probably won't be heavily involved in that decision, he said.

Eppley told reporters that the decision to retire the chief did not require a vote of the trustees, but was made after the board reached a consensus. He declined to say whether the board was unanimous in its support for dropping the mascot.

In a letter to Eppley dated Thursday, the NCAA said sanctions against Illinois will be lifted after next Wednesday's game at Assembly Hall against Michigan.

The sanctions thus far have prevented Illinois from hosting only two postseason events, both in low-profile sports.

But the Illini men's basketball team is expected to play in the postseason this year, if not in the NCAA championship tournament, then in the less-prestigious NIT. The NIT generally makes high-profile teams such as Illinois hosts of early-round games.

Eppley said potential revenue from home games didn't affect the timing of the chief decision, but said the prospect of having to play what otherwise would be home games on the road was a factor.

Turmoil over the chief has never been a big factor in fundraising, according to Jim Gobberdiel, spokesman for the University of Illinois Foundation, which raise money for the university's three campuses.

Athletic director Ron Guenther said he was disappointed Friday, but that the NCAA's sanctions hurt the school's athletes and coaches.

"This is an extremely emotional day for people on both sides of the issue, but the decision announced today ends a two-decade long struggle surrounding Chief Illiniwek on this campus . ," Guenther said. "Personally, as an alumnus and former athlete, I am disappointed, however, as an administrator, I understand the decision that had to be made."

Basketball coach Bruce Weber said he too was disappointed, calling Chief Illiniwek a "tremendous tradition." But Weber also said he understood why the decision was made, pointing out that the NCAA barred the men's tennis team from hosting the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament last May.

A spokesman for the university's Native American Studies program welcomed the end of the mascot.

"Now it is time to heal and take responsibility for the history of Chief Illiniwek on our campus," John McKinn, of the university's Native American House, said in a statement.

But McKinn, a Maricopa Indian of Arizona, said the university also should return the regalia worn to portray the chief. The costume was made in part by a now-deceased Sioux.

On Friday in Urbana, Champaign County Circuit Court Judge Michael Jones -- an Illinois graduate -- also rejected a request by Maloney and assistant chief Logan Ponce for a court order to ban the university from "capitulating to the NCAA by announcing the retirement of Chief Illiniwek."

Neither Maloney nor Ponce were in court Friday. Their attorney did not return messages left at his office.

A state district judge in North Dakota in November granted a preliminary injunction in a similar lawsuit filed over the University of North Dakota's Fighting Sioux nickname and use of American Indian imagery.

In the Illinois lawsuit, the students argued that by imposing sanctions the NCAA failed to provide due process to the students and the university.

The NCAA has said it believes its sanctions are legal.

Illinois Students Vote In Favor Of Belted Kingfisher Mascot

Students at the University of Illinois last week voted in favor of adopting the Belted Kingfisher, an orange and blue bird native to the state, as the school’s mascot.

The idea originated with senior physics and astronomy student Spencer Hulsey, who recalled seeing the birds near the pond at her childhood home in Kinmundy, Illinois. She created a design and posted it online, where it caught the attention of the Illinois Student Government.

A non-binding referendum asking whether the school should make the Belted Kingfisher its new mascot was then included in the student election ballot, and it passed by a vote of 4,222 to 3,597. With 7,819 votes, it was the most voted-on item on the ballot this year.

A similar vote was held last year for a mascot named Alma Otter, but that was defeated by a vote of 3,807 to 3,510.

The results of this year’s vote will be shared with university administrators, including chancellor Robert Jones, who would decide if they want to adopt the Belted Kingfisher as the school’s new mascot. It’s worth noting a new mascot would not replace the Fighting Illini nickname but would act as a replacement to the Chief Illiniwek mascot banned by the NCAA in 2005.

If adopted, the Belted Kingfisher would not only be unique to college athletics, it would also be the first female mascot in the Big Ten (males do not have an orange belt on their belly as the females do).

Photos via the University of Illinois and @audubonsociety on Twitter.

They believe that the mascot is a symbol of pride and unity for the community and should be preserved. In recent years, several universities and professional sports teams have retired their Native American mascots in response to public pressure and growing recognition of the harm they can cause. This has led to increased scrutiny of the Illini mascot and calls for its retirement. The university has taken steps to distance itself from the controversial Chief Illiniwek mascot. In 2009, the university formed a committee to explore the possibility of creating a new mascot that would be more inclusive and respectful. However, as of now, no new mascot has been introduced and the issue remains unresolved. The Illini mascot debate highlights the larger issue of representation and cultural sensitivity in sports and popular culture. It raises questions about the appropriate use of cultural symbols, the power dynamics involved, and the responsibilities of institutions to their diverse communities. It is a complex and ongoing conversation that continues to shape the landscape of mascots and symbols in sports..

Reviews for "The Illini Mascot: Bridging Generations of Alumni and Fans"

1. Sarah - 1/5 stars - I do not understand how anyone can support the Illini mascot. It is offensive and disrespectful to Native American culture. It perpetuates harmful stereotypes and goes against our society's push for cultural sensitivity and inclusivity. The University of Illinois should take immediate action to retire this mascot and find a more appropriate and respectful symbol for their institution.

2. John - 2/5 stars - While I can appreciate the history and tradition behind the Illini mascot, I believe it is time for the University of Illinois to reconsider its use. It's clear that the mascot is offensive to many Native American communities and should be replaced with a mascot that is more inclusive and respectful. I hope the university takes this feedback into consideration and makes the necessary changes.

3. Emily - 1/5 stars - The Illini mascot is a glaring example of cultural appropriation and insensitivity. It is time for the University of Illinois to acknowledge the harm it is causing and retire this offensive symbol. Native American culture should not be reduced to a mascot for sports entertainment. We should be promoting understanding, respect, and equality, and the Illini mascot does none of these things. It's time for change.

4. David - 2/5 stars - As an alumni of the University of Illinois, I am disappointed in the continued use of the Illini mascot. While I understand the historical significance, it is time to move forward and adopt a mascot that is more inclusive and respectful. There are plenty of options that can still represent the university's spirit without offending or appropriating another culture. I hope the university leadership listens to the concerns of the community and makes the necessary changes in the near future.

5. Rebecca - 1/5 stars - The Illini mascot is a mockery of Native American culture, plain and simple. It's astonishing that in this day and age, an institution of higher learning continues to cling to such an offensive symbol. The University of Illinois needs to catch up with the times and choose a mascot that reflects the values of diversity and inclusivity that we should be striving for. Continuing to support the Illini mascot is a failure to address the realities of cultural appropriation and discrimination.

The Illini Mascot as a Catalyst for Community Engagement