All Western Illinois athletics teams will be called the Leathernecks beginning this fall, the school decided. The women’s teams had been using the nickname Westerwinds since 1977.

President Al Goldfarb met with coaches, student-athletes, Western Athletic Club members and campus leadership groups prior to making a recommendation to the school’s trustees. Alumni and the campus community also had the opportunity to make their opinions known through e-mail and a Web-based survey.

"I thoroughly reviewed and read every letter, survey and e-mail, and I listened to all of the constituency groups. This was not an easy decision, nor was this a task I took lightly," Goldfarb said. "I considered all points of view and felt it was in the best interest for our student-athletes in regards to equity and marketing to unify the athletic team names."

The Western Illinois men’s athletics teams began using the Leathernecks name in 1927.