The Duke Blue Devils and Their World War One Nickname

Tonight #1 Ranked Duke University’s basketball team plays their opening game of the Sweet Sixteen stage of the NCAA’s national basketball tournament. Many fans I would guess are unfamiliar with the detail that the team’s distinctive Blue Devils nickname has a World War I heritage. It was adapted when the school was still known as Trinity College. (Duke became Duke in 1924.)

Today’s Duke Blue Devil Inspiring the Basketball Team’s Fans

The Duke Blue Devils nickname was inspired by les Diables Bleus (“the Blue Devils”), an elite French Alpine light infantry unit (Chasseurs Alpins) known for their courage and distinctive blue uniforms during World War I. Founded in 1887, the Chasseurs took part in their first major actions during World War I.  Their units notably held the line along the Vosges Mountains in eastern France for the entirety of the war. The name was adopted by the school in 1922–23 to honor these troops and foster a more inspiring identity.

The Chasseurs Alpins Recruited for Athletic Soldiers

The Trinity Chronicle school newspaper ran a contest to determine the mascot for the football team after the board of trustees lifted a 25-year ban on the sport. The “Blue Devils” was chosen from nominations that also included: Blue Titans, Blue Eagles, Polar Bears, Royal Blazes, and the Blue Warriors. Initially, it was not universally popular because some feared the name was anti-religious. This was apparently alleviated somewhat when its heroic military inspiration became better known.

Read the entire article on the Roads to the Great War website here:

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