Back when Stanford decided to drop the Indians nickname a fan favorite was "Robber Barons." They decided to call themselves the Cardinal...not the bird, but the color, kind of like the Harvard Crimson.
Friend of mine, (a varsity athlete for the 'furd,) 1) liked the Robber Barons, and 2) joked that they didn't even pick a color, they picked a "hue."
Pundits (on BOTH sides) could have a field day with names for a team in Washington. I guess "Stable Geniuses" (Genii??) is taken. Those on the other side might suggest "Sleepy Joes" or "Lyin' Hillaries."
The Foggy Bottoms? If you prefer the singular over the plural, a la the Utah Jazz, the Portland Storm (RIP), the Sacramento Surge (also RIP)....there's the Washington Swamp.
Miami University of Ohio went from Redskins to Red Hawks.
According to an ESPN article the current favorite for the pro-team is Red Tails. Wait until someone discovers that's the name of a craft brewed ale.
I remember way back when DQU somehow had an IM flag football team at UCD. I assume enough of the members were taking classes at Davis as well. (The statue of limitation on such violations from when I went to Davis ran a LONG, LONG time ago.) They were a tough physical team. I still have bruises.
I think some guy in DC may still have a protected interest in the name Generals for a professional football team...and still has Herschel Walker under contract.
I love how without prompt, Florida State and the Seminole Tribe of Florida released statements saying they were both still good with the status quo there. Interesting how the mascot is not offensive when casino licenses are in play.
And I have not heard of farmers being upset with the name "Aggies."
(I will apologize in advance to anyone offended by the language below. Used strictly to make a point.)
However, we have come a long way since businesses posted signs that read "Irish need not apply." There is a fundamental difference in the way Irish are treated in the US today and in the way Native Americans continue to be treated. Also there is a difference in characterizing people by an expansive name, such as Irish, or even Indians, and characterizing them by a physical feature such as the color of their skin or some stereotypical attribute. And let's be honest, the skin of Native Americans is not red. Redskins is a derisive name from the backpages of our history.
SI did an article decades ago that included logos and nicknames for other teams that might compare with the nicknames on existing teams. The one I recall in the fading recesses of my mind was a gold and black logo for the Pittsburgh Negroes. There may have been a team called the Jews. Suddenly it becomes a little less like a harmless characterization. Nobody calls themselves the Fighting Mexicans, or the Brownskins. We'd be shocked to hear of a team called the Blackskins, or the Nappyheads....Long past time for the name Redskins to be retired to the basement warehouse of history.
There is a story, perhaps fictional, that many years ago a broadcaster (Chris Schenkel??) referred to Southern Methodist University teams as the "Ponies" because Chevrolet advertised the broadcasts and he didn't want to give any publicity to Ford Mustangs.
Well, the original name of their mascot was of the Native American type variety, so maybe they pick something a little more mainstream along those lines. I've read a lot of Washington Warriors, but there are those who won't like that, then you get away from NA culture, and there are those who don't like that. Wolves? Warriors? Warbirds? Warhawks? Redhawks? Maybe associating War and D.C. isn't in good taste, but it would be historically accurate...