Oklahoma High School Animal Sports Team Names and the Potential for Conservation Connection

The way humans view animals has long-term implications for the conservation of species. Negatively viewed animals receive less funding, less media attention, and less public support than positively viewed animals. However, negative perceptions of animals can be changed through connections to conservation. One path of conservation connection that has been underutilized is joining conservation messaging to animal sports team names and mascots. A total of 475 Oklahoma high schools had sports team names identified, with 272 being animal-themed. Vertebrates were more common than invertebrates, with mammals, birds, and even-toed ungulates the most common groups of animals chosen. The most common animal overall was the tiger (Panthera tigris) followed by the domestic dog (Canis familiaris). Future studies should focus on temporal and regional patterns in sports team names and mascots to better understand naming patterns. Additionally, we provide guidance on raising conservation awareness using sports team mascots.