In the United States, most universities and colleges that sponsor athletics programs have adopted an official nickname for its associated teams.
Often, these nicknames have changed for any number of reasons, which might include a change in the name of the school itself, a term becoming dated or otherwise changing meaning, or changes in racial perceptions and sensitivities.
In the case of the latter, many schools have recently deprecated nicknames that some might consider offensive to American Indians, a group that has been a traditional inspiration for athletic teams.