Why is Murray State called the Racers? Explaining nickname amid College World Series

Murray State is the “party crasher” of the 2025 College World Series.

Led by coach Dan Skirka, the Racers are just the fourth No. 4 seed to advance to the CWS, played at Charles Schwab Field Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska. But make no mistake about it, they belong at this stage. Murray State won the Missouri Valley Conference tournament championship and then proceeded to win the Oxford Regional and Durham Super Regional over No. 10 national seed Ole Miss and Duke, respectively.

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The Racers are making their first-ever appearance at the CWS in 2025 and could make history. The biggest question fans may have about Murray State isn’t if they belong at the College World Series, but rather, where does their nickname of the “Racers” come from?

Here’s what you need to know about Murray State’s athletic nickname, history and more:

Why is Murray State called the Racers?

According to Murray State’s website, the school’s athletic programs were nicknamed the “Thoroughbreds,” representing the state of Kentucky’s love for horse racing.

However, journalists had issues fitting the team’s moniker in headlines and used shortened names, such as: “T-Breds”, “‘Breds”, “Race Horses” and “Racers.” In the late 1950s, the Racers became the nickname for all of Murray State’s athletic programs.

That is, however, except for the baseball program. Until 2014, the baseball team was still called the “Breds.”

What is Murray State’s mascot?

Murray State’s mascot is a costumed horse named Dunker. The mascot won the 2023 MVC Mascot Madness competition, which was voted on by fans across the league on social media. 

In addition to Dunker, the Racers have a thoroughbred, nicknamed Racer One, who runs a celebratory lap on the running track around the football field. A different horse performs the duty each year, ridden by a student jockey.

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