Long Island University’s athletic programs merger between its Brooklyn and Post campuses is creating unrest.

Alums of LIU Brooklyn are upset that as part of the two programs being melded together — Post is Division II and Brooklyn Division I — the Blackbirds nickname is going to be dropped beginning next fall. The three new nicknames being suggested after polling students and alumni, according to an email obtained by The Post, are the Sharks, Eagles and Falcons. The Blackbirds nickname dates back to 1935.

“As Blackbirds and Pioneers, our past and present student-athletes have built a strong foundation of excellence which our alumni are rightly proud of,” LIU athletic director Debbie DeJong said in a statement. “Now, as we unite our two campuses into a strengthened Division I program, a new mascot will unify our national brand as we enter a new era of excellence.”

On March 25, a group of 12 former LIU Brooklyn athletes and alumni met with the school’s president, Kimberly Cline, to address their concerns after repeated attempts to speak to the administration. But Cline told them they were getting rid of Blackbirds for a few reasons, according to a source who attended the meeting.

They didn’t want to diminish Post in the merger. Cline also said the school has heard that the Blackbird is an offensive racist mascot. The group also asked Cline why not include Blackbirds and Pioneers as part of the ballot, but she said a marketing firm the school has consulted suggested to wipe the slate clean.

The school’s alums have started a Facebook group entitled “LIU Blackbirds Forever.” It has 112 members. They have also tried to persuade board members and the school’s athletic director, Debbie DeJong, in their cause to no avail.

“We’re in support of the president’s initiative in terms of combining the programs and doing different things between the universities and merging them in a concept she called ‘One LIU,’ ” former LIU Brooklyn athletic director Jerry Donner said in a phone interview. “But with respect to the Blackbird, it’s iconic. It’s unique. It’s the only mascot in the country like it. Most of the alums I’ve been in contact with are very passionate about the Blackbird. It’s special.

“We don’t want that history to be rewritten. We want it to be part of the university’s legacy for the future. I think the most important part of this is the university re-evaluate its decision regarding the iconic Blackbird. It would be to their advantage.”