After 50 strong years and countless victories and championships across more than a dozen sports, MacEwan University is kicking off its athletics legacy’s next half-century with a potentially feather-ruffling new name. Effective April 1, 2025, the MacEwan Griffins will become the MacEwan Magpies. As the university’s campus continues to expand in the downtown core, the new identity will more closely reflect the environment its students nest in.
“We are Edmonton’s downtown university. As an ecologist, I believe it’s important to recognize, celebrate and protect the unique ecosystem we inhabit – right down to something as seemingly common and everyday as the magpie,” says MacEwan President and Vice-Chancellor Dr. Annette Trimbee. “The omnipresence of the birds here and across the province mirrors MacEwan’s impact – from incoming students to trendsetting alumni – near and far.”
The decision was inspired by the astounding support for the magpie in Bird Friendly Edmonton’s poll to name an official city bird, which is expected to announce its final results soon.
Further consideration came in the ways that MacEwan students embody the traits of the corvid: resourcefulness, intelligence, adaptability, playfulness, a strong social bond and a curious affinity for shiny things.
“Much like the magpies live in the extreme conditions of a winter city like Edmonton, our student athletes’ resilience and tenacity are reflected in teams that thrive – even in the face of adversity,” says Joel Mrak, athletics director of the former Griffins. “The call of the magpie is as distinct as the cheer of the crowd in a particularly exciting game – both are things we never tire of hearing.”
The name change also marks a shift from the mythical to the tangible, swapping out a fictional beast for a species that we can all see, learn from and interact with on a daily basis – they’re quite literally everywhere. The addition of the alliterative alias made the decision an easy one.
Implementation of the new MacEwan Magpies brand is a way to honour the university’s place in Ward O-Day’min, says Dr. Trimbee, along with another strategic direction in MacEwan’s Teaching Greatness strategic vision.
“Our students, faculty, staff and alumni have always been Grand as a Griffin, but we can fly even further with this new name,” says Dr. Trimbee. “From now on, our community will help one another to become Majestic as a Magpie.”
Scroll through the images below for highlights of the team’s new mascot Margaret – who obviously goes by her nickname, Peggy – on campus for the first time.
The decision was inspired by the astounding support for the magpie in Bird Friendly Edmonton’s poll to name an official city bird, which is expected to announce its final results soon.
Further consideration came in the ways that MacEwan students embody the traits of the corvid: resourcefulness, intelligence, adaptability, playfulness, a strong social bond and a curious affinity for shiny things.
“Much like the magpies live in the extreme conditions of a winter city like Edmonton, our student athletes’ resilience and tenacity are reflected in teams that thrive – even in the face of adversity,” says Joel Mrak, athletics director of the former Griffins. “The call of the magpie is as distinct as the cheer of the crowd in a particularly exciting game – both are things we never tire of hearing.”
The name change also marks a shift from the mythical to the tangible, swapping out a fictional beast for a species that we can all see, learn from and interact with on a daily basis – they’re quite literally everywhere. The addition of the alliterative alias made the decision an easy one.
Implementation of the new MacEwan Magpies brand is a way to honour the university’s place in Ward O-Day’min, says Dr. Trimbee, along with another strategic direction in MacEwan’s Teaching Greatness strategic vision.
“Our students, faculty, staff and alumni have always been Grand as a Griffin, but we can fly even further with this new name,” says Dr. Trimbee. “From now on, our community will help one another to become Majestic as a Magpie.”
Scroll through the images below for highlights of the team’s new mascot Margaret – who obviously goes by her nickname, Peggy – on campus for the first time.
imglr-announcement-macewan-magpies-april-fools-25-9756.jpg
The Griff mascot holds out a blue "Magpies" jersey toward a Magpie mascot.
imglr-announcement-macewan-magpies-april-fools-25-9771.jpg
The Griff mascot shrugs next to a Magpie mascot holding out its wings.
imglr-announcement-macewan-magpies-april-fools-25-9795.jpg
The Griff mascot holds its fists to its face in a crying action while the Magpie mascot holds a Griffins jersey.
imglr-announcement-macewan-magpies-april-fools-25-9866.jpg
The magpie mascot steps on the Griff mascot, who lays on the gym floor.
imglr-announcement-macewan-magpies-april-fools-25-9929.jpg
The magpie and the Griff stand together, arms around one another's shoulders.
imglr-announcement-macewan-magpies-april-fools-25-9888.jpg
A high-angle shot of the magpie mascot stepping on the Griff mascot.
Though MacEwan does respect and admire the magpie, there’s no risk of Griff leaving campus any time soon! This story ran on April 1, 2025, as an April Fool’s joke. You can still cheer on the MacEwan Griffins as always, with the name, logo and mascot you’ve come to expect on the ice, court and field.
Let’s stay in touch!
Sign up to receive our weekly MacEwan University e-newsletter straight to your inbox.