July 19, 2002

SAN DIEGO (AP) - San Diego State has called a halt to a search for a replacement for "Monty Montezuma," the university's bare-chested, spear-throwing former mascot.

University President Stephen Weber announced Thursday that he was rejecting the "Eagle Warrior" proposed by the school's New Mascot Committee. Weber felt fans could not rally behind the winged figure wearing an eagle headdress, said spokesman Jack Beresford.

The decision means the school won't have a mascot at the first home game of the 2002 football season on Sept. 14.

"A mascot is intended to be an appropriate, unifying, spirit-raising symbol of the university," Weber said in a statement. "To date, we have been unable to develop a mascot that meets these criteria."

The university has been without a mascot since Weber decided to do away with Monty Montezuma in May 2001 following complaints by the Native American Student Alliance that the figure was offensive.

In January, the Montezuma character was transformed into a historically accurate "ambassador" adorned in flowing purple robes and a plumed headdress.

Weber named the New Member Committee in April to come up with a recommendation for Montezuma's replacement within the guidelines established by the school's Task Force on Aztec Identity.

By a narrow margin, the nine-member committee settled on the Eagle Warrior. Some members felt that no human mascot could be a respectful and accurate representation of Aztec culture, said Dennis Cushman, the co-chairman of the committee.

"We had to deal with a very difficult and highly-charged assignment," Cushman said. "It was more difficult than people might expect."

The committee has completed its assignment and will not likely reconvene for future development of a new mascot.

"For now, we will focus our attention on other priorities, including our student athletes and the promising year ahead for our department of athletics," Weber said.