Swoop is

Eastern Washington University Eastern Washington University (EWU) is a public university in Cheney, Washington. It also offers programs at a campus in EWU Spokane at the Riverpoint Campus and other campus locations throughout the state. Founded in 1882, the university is ...

's athletics

mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, professional sports team, society, military unit, or brand name. Mascots are also used as fi ...

. He is modeled after an

eagle Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...

, in reference to the nickname of the university's athletic teams, the

Eagles Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...

. The mascot first appeared in September 1973 when the Eastern Washington State College changed the name of its athletic teams from "the Savages" to "the Eagles". The name "Swoop" was subsequently adopted in 2004.

References

External links

Eastern Washington University official website
{{Eastern Washington Eagles men's basketball navbox College mascots in the United States Eastern Washington Eagles