during the late 1960s and early '70s, a movement began on campus to shed the aggie name in favor of the utah state highlanders, but the movement met with widespread opposition and was abandoned. the name "highlanders" was a nod to the university's historic ideological tie to scotland, which came about very early on in the college's history, mostly due to the university's setting on a hill in a high mountain valley. in fact, for a brief period, usu's teams were indeed nicknamed the "scotsmen" as well, and a remnant of this era lives on in the current and popular fight song "the scotsman".