The University of San Francisco is retiring its 92-year-old mascot and will debut a wolf as its replacement when classes resume in spring 2027.
President Salvador Aceves confirmed Friday that “The Don,” a costumed figure with a pencil mustache and green Spanish-style hat, will make his final appearance at campus sporting events later this year. The nickname “Dons” will survive for athletic teams, but the visual representation rooted in colonial California history will not.
Aceves, 47, positioned the shift as part of broader institutional renewal. “With new leadership at USF and in Dons Athletics, we believe the time is right to revitalize our image and embrace a new mascot, one that is known for its intelligence, endurance and ability to work cooperatively in its pack,” he said. “At the same time, we will proudly remain the University of San Francisco Dons.”
The outgoing mascot traced back to 1932 and originally honored Don Francisco de Haro, the first mayor of Yerba Buena before the settlement became San Francisco. While “Don” carries the Spanish meaning “of noble origin,” student activists argued the figure carried darker associations.
The push for removal crystallized in 2022 when USF’s student government passed a formal resolution demanding the mascot’s elimination. The measure contended the character symbolized the exploitation and subjugation of California’s Indigenous people. A supporting petition collected more than 400 signatures and pressed administrators to both phase out the colonial-era imagery and create a joint task force to choose a successor.
Ariana Anayat, who served as student government vice president and spearheaded the initial campaign four years ago, celebrated the outcome. She said she was “elated” to see the long campaign finally come to fruition.
The wolf selection carries deliberate Jesuit symbolism. University officials noted the bronze “Los Lobos de Loyola” statues already on campus, which depict the 15th-century family coat of arms of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuit order that runs USF.
Aceves framed the transition alongside newly appointed athletic director Brent Blaylock, suggesting the timing aligned with fresh administrative direction.
The administration intends to solicit input from students and staff on the final wolf costume design during the months ahead. No renderings or concept art have been released publicly.
Not all corners of the university community welcomed the announcement. Several alumni voiced displeasure across social media platforms, accusing the administration of unnecessarily rewriting decades of campus sports history. The online backlash underscored lingering attachment to the nearly century-old tradition even as institutional leadership moved to finalize its end.
The mascot debate that culminated in Friday’s decision began gaining organized traction when student legislators formally condemned “The Don” in 2022, though conversations about its appropriateness had circulated informally before that vote. The resolution and subsequent petition forced the issue into administrative consideration, setting in motion the multi-year process that produced this week’s announcement.
USF joins a growing number of American colleges that have reconsidered mascots with contested historical roots in recent years, though few such transitions have unfolded across nine decades of continuous use.
The wolf will officially replace “The Don” at the start of the spring 2027 semester.