The Washington Football Team has yet to announce its new name, but until then, club policy will begin breaking fans away from the old one.
The club announced Wednesday that fans at FedExField will not be permitted to wear Native American ceremonial headdresses or face paint this season. Fans weren't permitted into WFT home games last year due to COVID-19 and the prior year such costuming was still permitted under the former branding.
It will be 2022 before the franchise is rebranded with a new name and logo, but all that's known for certain at this point is that it will not contain any Native American imagery.
"We have 89 years of history in this league and failing to acknowledge our past use of Native imagery in the consideration of the new name wouldn't be mindful of the individuals and communities that were hurt by the previous name," WFT president Jason Wright wrote for the team's website last month. "We've made significant changes in our organization and our culture, and our new name must reflect these changes. To that end, we will choose an identity that unequivocally departs from any use of or approximate linkage to Native American imagery."
Washington's first home preseason game is Aug. 20 against the Cincinnati Bengals, and its regular-season opener will be at home against the Los Angeles Chargers.
