After 90-plus years, the University of San Francisco is dumping its “Don” mascot over alleged colonial ties and rolling out a wolf instead, while oddly keeping the “Dons” name for its teams.
Story Snapshot
- USF will retire the Don character and debut a wolf mascot in spring 2027.
- Student leaders tied the Don to Spanish colonization; a petition drew 400-plus signers.
- The school will still call its teams the “Dons,” creating a mixed message.
- Alumni and athletes objected, calling the change political correctness.
USF Retires The Don, Adds Wolf, Keeps “Dons”
University of San Francisco officials announced that the school will retire its human “Don” character and introduce a wolf mascot for games and events starting in spring 2027. The university said the change responds to complaints about the Don’s colonial imagery, while the athletics nickname “Dons” will remain in use across sports. Administrators said the wolf links to the school’s Jesuit roots and will represent the community going forward.
Reports describe the Don as a masked man in a Spanish-style hat with cape and gloves, visuals critics said echoed an era of Spanish rule. Some coverage also linked the character to Don Francisco de Haro, the first mayor of Yerba Buena, the settlement that became San Francisco. That tie helped fuel arguments that the figure represented a colonial class rather than a neutral school symbol.
Student Push Drove Momentum for Change
A 2022 student-government resolution urged the university to abandon the Don’s imagery, arguing that it reflects the history of Spanish colonization of Indigenous people in California. A student petition gathered more than 400 signatures and called for a task force to move toward a new mascot. The campaign framed the shift as a step toward inclusion on campus. The university’s Friday announcement followed this multi-year push and outlined the wolf transition timeline.
The record does not show a dedicated survey of Indigenous Californians or a campus-wide poll that measured broad support or harm from the imagery. Reports also do not name specific California tribes the school consulted before acting. That gap leaves questions about how representative the petition was or whether the decision included the communities most cited in the rationale for change.
Tradition, Identity, and a Mixed Message
USF will keep the “Dons” nickname even as it removes the Don figure. That choice creates a split identity: the title remains, but the man is gone. Critics say this looks like a cosmetic fix that dodges a clear standard. If “Don” is the problem, why retain the name? If the image is the problem, what makes the word safe? The university has not offered outcome data yet on community impact, donor response, or recruiting effects.
USF’s own athletics history says the “Dons” name dates to a 1931–1932 process with students, alumni, and administrators, and describes “Don” as drawn from early California and San Francisco history, meaning “of noble origin” in Spanish. That account underscores the nickname’s long tradition and local roots, which helps explain alumni resistance to dropping the character while keeping the label.
Backlash From Alumni and Athletes
Alumni and some student athletes pushed back online after the announcement. One alumnus blasted the change as rewriting sports history to suit modern politics. Some athletes said they took pride in being Dons and did not want a mascot change. Supporters of the update said the new wolf preserves team spirit without the baggage of a human colonial figure. The split reflects a wider culture fight across campuses in recent years.
The University of San Francisco announced Friday its new mascot will be the wolf, though the longtime “Dons” nickname will remain affiliated with the private Jesuit school. https://t.co/G2Uy81GsOh
— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) November 2, 2026
Conservatives see a familiar pattern: a small activist push, a rapid administrative pivot, and a community left with less tradition and more division. Schools exist to educate, not to chase the latest trend. Respect for history can live beside honest teaching about the past. When leaders move symbols without broad consultation or clear standards, they weaken trust and open the door to more erasures next year—and the year after that.
What To Watch Next
Watch for the spring 2027 rollout to show how the wolf will appear at events and how the school phases out Don imagery on gear and promotions. Look for any statements from California tribes, Jesuit leaders, or local civic groups that might validate or challenge the rationale. Track alumni giving, ticket sales, and merchandise trends for signs of backlash or acceptance. Expect more schools to face similar fights as activists target long-standing names and symbols.
Sources:
nypost.com, sfist.com, hoodline.com, meridian.news, pulptastic.com
