Get in your Ken jokes about Long Beach State’s team being known as “Beach.”
But if you’re here, you’re probably wondering: why the heck would the team be known as “Beach”? Didn’t they have a nickname before?
You are correct, they did. That name was 49ers and the mascot was Prospector Pete. In 2018, the Cal State school got rid of nickname and mascot because of controversy surrounding the history associated with them.
Per a statement, via the Los Angeles Times: “As our diversity grew and more voices were heard, we came to know that the 1849 California gold rush was a time in history when the indigenous peoples of California endured subjugation, violence and threats of genocide,” President Jane Close Conoley said in a statement. “Today, the spirit of inclusivity is reflected in our students, faculty, staff, alumni and community. Today’s Beach is not connected to that era.”
So now, they’re “The Beach.”