Many people believe Kentucky State got its nickname of Thorobreds from the mere fact that the state of Kentucky is noted for its horses and the famed Kentucky Derby. But this is not true. Dr. Henry Cheaney, a former professor at Kentucky State, says Arthur Kean coined the name back in the early 1930's. Kean was coach of the football, basketball, and baseball teams. It is said that the nickname came from one of his great football teams, which included National Championship teams in 1934, 1935, and 1937.

According to legend, Coach Kean was talking to a spectator about one of the great football teams and said, “These boys run and play just like a bunch of Thorobreds.” That statement got around, and the nickname began to stick. The name was finally adopted as the official nickname for all Kentucky State Athletic teams.

Student-athletes enrolled at NCAA member institutions should reflect the ambitious standards of honesty and integrity set by the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics. As NCAA member institutions strive to fulfill their educational missions, they share a right and a responsibility to preserve order and encourage ethical, responsible behavior through the formulation of standards of conduct for student-athletes and the designation of procedures by which those standards shall be enforced.

It is imperative that student-athletes recognize the significance of their behavior as visible members of the campus and local communities. This same attention, however, also should inspire the institution to assure that its student-athletes receive the same treatment as students in disciplinary or criminal matters. Intercollegiate athletics cannot be viewed as a refuge where student-athletes may escape responsibilities imposed on all citizens, nor should student-athletes be held to a higher standard of conduct than that imposed on the student body. (Adopted by the NCAA Presidents Commission, July 1992.)