Buckeyes, Brutus the Buckeye

Ohio State University

Not a lot of people know this but Ohio State’s mascot is actually a student named Brutus with a giant nut for a head. The nut is the Buckeye Nut that comes from the Ohio state tree, the Buckeye Tree. Brutus was first introduced in 1965 and his head was made from paper mache. Soon after, a fiberglass head was constructed and the mascot was named Brutus.

Horned Frogs, “Super Frog the Horned Frog”

Texas Christian University

Going all the way back to 1897, the students of TCU decided their student yearbook would be titled the “Horned Lizard” (once plentiful in Texas). Not long after, the school adopted the horned lizard as their school mascot and the suited lizard made its debut at a football game in 1949. The original mascot was a six foot purple creature called “Addie the Fighting Frog”. Since then the look of the giant lizard mascot has taken many forms and designs, the latest of which is a menacing muscular frog you don’t want to mess with.

Keggy the Keg

Dartmouth University

In 1971, Dartmouth University dropped its original mascot which was an Indian. The school then went on to be known as “the big green”. In 2003, students writing for the college humor magazine Jack-O-Lantern proposed the new mascot to be “Keggy the Keg”. Reactions to the new mascot were mixed but it has become ingrained in the school’s culture. Technically, Keggy is their unofficial mascot but it made this list because of its uniqueness.

Geoducks, “Speedy the Geoduck”

Evergreen State Mascot

So, what the hell is a Geoduck you might ask? It is the largest burrowing clam on planet earth. Pronounced goo-ey duck, they are some what incredible creatures. They can live extremely long with the oldest one on record being 168 years old, pretty dope huh? To some people they taste very good and are considered a delicacy, being served on sushi or made into a pie. Evergreen State wanted their mascot to stand out. They picked the geoduck to be the opposite of a fierce and aggressive mascot to represent their sports teams. I don’t really understand the logic behind that but they definitely succeeded in standing out from the rest of college mascots.

The Fighting Okra

Delta State University

For those of you who don’t know, an Okra is a vegetable valued for its edible seed pods. There are many rumors and tales about how Delta Sate became known as the Fighting Okra. From it being a complete joke when the students were voting in the 90’s, to a baseball player wearing an Okra necklace for good luck to get them out of a slump, and it worked. Whatever it is, it’s pretty hilarious and kind of badass.

The Fighting Artichokes, “Artie the Artichoke”

Scottsdale Community College

Located in Arizona, Scottsdale Community College is the only public community college on Native American land. Founded in the 1970’s, the school came up with the artichoke being their mascot when the students were opposed to starting an athletic program, saying the funds could be used differently since they were primary an artsy school. The students chose the artichoke in protest and thought it would be funny. Since then however “Artie the Artichoke” has been embraced as a lovable character at the school.

Boll Weevils, “Weezy the Weevil”

University of Arkansas at Monticello

Founded in 1910, the University of Arkansas at Monticello’s team mascot is the Boll Weevils. Boll Weevils are a species of Beatle originated in central Mexico. It feeds on cotton buds and flowers and is a serious pest for the industry. Perhaps that is why they chose the menacing bug to represent their athletic teams.

Banana Slugs, “Sammy the Slug”

University of California-Santa Cruz

Found in the Redwood forest of California, Banana Slugs are a bright yellow, shell-less mollusk. From the conception of the college “the Banana Slugs” was always the unofficial mascot for the school’s athletic teams. When the college’s sports department became legit in the 1980’s, joining NCSS's Division III, the Chancellor at the time wanted a more “appropriate” and “dignified” mascot. So he decided on the Sea Lions. Most of the students did not like the change and continued calling themselves “the slugs.” For five years the college had two mascots, until 1986 they convinced the Chancellor to change it back and the rest is history.

Scrotie

Rhode Island School of Design

“Scrotie” the you-know-what made his debut as the school’s unofficial mascot at a hockey game in 2001. It wasn’t long before the mascot was lovingly welcomed to cheer on their sports teams. Their basketball team is called “The Balls” and their hockey team is “The Nads.” Could you imagine playing for those teams? It would be so freaking epic! The original Scrotie suit managed to last 8 long years until it had to be replaced. It’s kind of fitting that this prestigious art school would have these mascots in place considering Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane graduated from there.

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