Women have played varsity sports at the University of Arkansas since 1971, and they've been known as "Lady Razorbacks" since the first practice whistle sounded. The women who represent Arkansas on the competitive fields and floors now will answer to a different name. In keeping with an increasingly popular trend in college athletics, Arkansas is eliminating the use of "Lady" in conjunction with its women's sports teams. Female athletes now will be known, like their male counterparts, simply as "Razorbacks." " We're all 'Razorbacks' and that's something you'll see more of in the future, " new Arkansas Athletic Director Jeff Long said last week.

The shift falls in line with the merger of the university's men's and women's athletic departments, an ongoing process that began in January under the direction of Long and will culminate Monday with the introduction of ArkansasRazorbacks. com, which will merge the men's and women's athletic Web sites.

"What we kept coming back to is that 'Razorbacks' is a strong brand," said Kevin Trainor, Arkansas' associate athletic director for media relations and communications. "It's a unique name, it's a unique mascot, and I think we were looking for a way to signify our unity as former men's and women's departments.

" Any time you're dealing with a nickname or logos or any other type of branding, you're looking to distinguish yourself. I think there was a purpose and a need at one time for distinguishing the women's athletic programs and getting them the recognition they deserve, but now they're certainly strong enough to stand on their own and stand with all our sports."

THE LADY RAZORBACKS Arkansas' women's teams not only have been known as "Lady Razorbacks" since their inceptions, but also have had their own logos over the years. The most recent such logo had been in place since 1995. "It made sense because we had separate departments," said Bev Lewis, the former women's athletic director who now serves as executive associate athletic director. "We tried to create a separate identity and tried to do our own branding at the time of the separate departments." Now anything from equipment and uniforms to signage and facilities bearing "Lady Razorbacks" will be changed to "Razorbacks." That includes Arkansas' soccer field - previously known as Lady 'Back Field - which will be known as Razorback Field.

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The change is bound to ruffle some longtime fans of Arkansas' women's teams, and perhaps even some within the unified department, but most athletic department officials seemed reticent to address the issue because of the continued revamping of the staff.

"I think you'll find sentimentality, and there's some historical significance, but I'm not hearing a great sense of loss of identity or anything like that," Lewis said.

Amber Shirey, who has been a part of the basketball program either as a player or staff member since the 1980 s, said she hasn't heard the change mentioned among Arkansas' current players.

"I never felt like it was demeaning to have 'Lady' in front of 'Razorbacks,' but I don't think I'll miss it, either," Shirey said. "I haven't really even thought about it.

" The way I grew up, if you're a 'Razorback, you're a'Razorback' whether you're male or female."

Chris Pohl spent more than four years as the associate athletic director for marketing and promotions within the women's department, and will work in a similar capacity within the merged department. Pohl said that even though Arkansas' women's teams didn't use a Razorback as part of their official logo, it remained the teams' most identifiable image.

"My experience is that this right here," Pohl said, pointing to the Razorback logo, "is what's of value to people. This is where the equity is.

" I'm not saying 'Lady Razorbacks' doesn't have equity, but in terms of big, huge branding, it's the University of Arkansas, it's the Hog. [The unification ], to me, is an effort to build and grow that."

Pohl said she also understands how distinctions such as "lady" can "feel condescending" to women given the idea that USA Today columnist Christine Brennan wrote more strongly about during the 2007 Women's Final Four. Brennan deemed the practice "the strangest tradition left in women's sports, this lingering need to add an unnecessary adjective to the school nickname."

"It comes from another place and time, yet it somehow remains - at least for a few dozen schools, mostly in the south, that somehow cannot see just how demeaning one little word can be," Brennan wrote.

Marj Snyder, a senior staff member at the Women's Sports Foundation, said she doesn't believe there was ever an intent to debase women by using terms like "lady," and that she understands fans have strong emotional attachments to their favorite sports teams. Snyder does believe, however, that such monikers have become unnecessary and subtly demeaning.

"What they really connote is some kind of second-class citizen," Snyder said.

Most Division I colleges and universities across the country have dropped sex-specific nicknames, whether it be for those reasons, or for more businessrelated ones, In the Big 12, for example, only Baylor (Lady Bears ) and Texas Tech (Lady Raiders ) distinguish their women's teams, and only in basketball. Oklahoma State uses "Cowgirls" in all women's sports.

Inside the state of Arkansas, the use of sex-specific nicknames is prevalent. Of the four Division I schools, Arkansas-Pine Bluff uses "Lions" and "Lady Lions," while Central Arkansas uses "Bears" and "Sugar Bears". All of UALR's athletic teams are referred to as "Trojans," while Arkansas State has not yet decided how to refer to its women's teams after switching from the Indians to the Red Wolves earlier this year.

Among SEC schools, only LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Tennessee continue to employ "lady" as part of their women's nicknames. Georgia is somewhat divided, referring to its women's teams as "Bulldogs," with the exception of its basketball (Lady Bulldogs ) and gymnastics (Gym Dogs ) squads.

In cases like Georgia's, and Tennessee's use of "Lady Vols," those nicknames are believed to be established to the point of being their own freestanding brands. Tennessee Coach Pat Summitt said as much during the 2007 Women's Final Four, explaining that the Lady Vols logo "is known throughout this country and throughout the world... and I can't see that changing."

Licensing revenues from Lady Vols merchandise sales reached $ 700, 000 as recently as 2005, according to a report in Business TN magazine. To compare, Texas set the all-time record for licensed merchandise revenues in 2006, topping $ 8 million.

Arkansas annually ranks in the top 25 colleges in listings of licensed merchandising sales, but that's primarily because of the unique nature of the Razorbacks mascot and logo.

Arkansas didn't have as much luck with "Lady Razorbacks," and subtle shifts away from its use began even before its two athletic departments merged. More than one official acknowledged that T-shirts reading "Arkansas Soccer" were more popular than those bearing "Lady Razorback Soccer."

Lance Harter has been the Arkansas women's track and field and cross country coach since 1990, and said losing the "lady" from his teams' nicknames isn't a radical change. Like most of Arkansas' other women's coaches, Harter preferred to use the "Razorback" logo instead of the "Lady Razorback" logo whenever possible.

"We've always been Razorbacks," Harter said. "The moniker 'Lady' was attached to distinguish the two, but we've always had the Hog on our uniform.... Really, the men's and women's track programs have always been unified as one. Everywhere we go, it's always been, 'Here come the Razorbacks.'"

That's the message Arkansas now hopes to send across the board.

"There are still some specialty items within our branding and our merchandise that are sport-specific," Trainor said. "We want to give our fans a chance to support not just the overall program, but the programs of which they're especially a fan of or dedicated to. I don't think you'll see individuality go out the window.

" But when someone buys a hat or a shirt that says Arkansas Razorbacks' on it, we want that to encompass all 19 sports and the more than 450 studentathletes that we have. That's the root of it."