Here is a not so complete list of some of my favorite college mascots, and some of my not so favorites.
Quick Disclaimer- this is MY opinion if you are emotionally attached to any of these mascots…I’m sorry, suck it up.
Ok, let’s talk human mascots. ALMOST ALL OF THEM ARE NOT GOOD PLEASE STOP. A few notable exceptions to this rule are Florida State’s Osceola and Renegade and the University of Central Florida’s Pegasus and Knightro.
I will also give an honorable mention to the Fighting Irish Leprechaun from Notre Dame, which I neither love nor hate (I feel like it’s slightly underwhelming, idk), but I KNOW some of you Pius people are very attached to it.
Moving on to the bad ones…
I’m so sorry, but THIS 
IS CREEPY. Everyone meet Purdue Pete the Boilermaker, the mascot that routinely scares hordes of children at events, and whose square face and soulless eyes haunt my dreams.
Another one of the human mascots that should not see the light of day is Pistol Pete from Oklahoma State (yes, there is more than one Pete). Again it’s not a horribly made mascot, just generally kind of scary to look at.
The last humanoid mascot I will talk about is Wake Forest’s Demon Deacon. As cool as this photo looks why is your SCHOOL MASCOT an old man? The mascot was, however, a tradition born from a fraternity dare, and hey if this guy inspires you to win in sports events, who am I to judge?
The Mountaineer from West Virginia University is another one of the human mascots that just falls flat. He is just a redneck mountain man who likes running around during football games.
Although the University of Virginia’s live Cavalier is cool, their mascot costume is slightly less so. They really did everything in their power to make him the most buff human mascot possible.
Another quick note. You cannot just say that your mascot is a color. *cough cough* Otto the Orange and Big Red from Syracuse University and Western Kentucky University, respectively.
Now for a mascot that didn’t fit in a category other than Nightmare Fuel. Prepare yourselves, people, because the Nittany Lion from Penn State is just scary. I think maybe the black dots as excuses for eyes and the four sharp teeth lend to its horrifying appearance.
Dear whoever picked the mascot for Texas Christian University, horned frogs are native to Texas yes, but why? I mean at least it’s not another wildcat or tiger of some sort, but a horned frog is awfully creative.The alternative for the school’s mascot was a cactus so I guess this was the better choice of the two. But you know what, you get brownie points for originality.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always been confused by Ohio State’s Brutus Buckeye. I had no idea what it was supposed to be or even why. I have learned recently that a buckeye is actually a type of nut and is also toxic to humans if not prepared properly. Now why you would want a type of nut to be your school mascot is beyond me.
OK CLEMSON PEOPLE DON’T COME AFTER ME!! The cub is super cute, love it, but the actual Clemson Tiger (the one on the left in this photo) has really creepy eyes. He looks like he’s seen some things. I’m just not a fan.
Like TCU’s Horned Frog, the Ole Miss Landshark certainly is original. It’s definitely not on my list of the best mascots out there, but it’s fun. He is the third of the school’s recent changes in mascots. He also has been MIA for several years, and maybe that’s for the best.
Mascot Doggos! They are incredibly cute. There are also quite a few of them, but that is A-OK with me.
Among them is Reveille from Texas A&M, who is the cutest little shetland lady,
the Tennessee coonhound Smokey,
Bully the Bulldog from Mississippi State,
Jonathan the Husky from University of Connecticut,
and Washington University’s Dubs the husky.
Am I STILL hurt by the Florida/Georgia game?
YES, ABSOLUTELY! Florida would have won if everyone hadn’t gotten hurt. (Also, Carson Beck must be holding Kirby Smart’s mom hostage or something because there is no way he should still be their QB). However, I do think that Uga is very cute. He might top the list of mascot dogs for me.
BIG AL!!!!!! Despite not being a Bama fan…at all…like even a little bit…I do appreciate the fact that their mascot is pretty fun. For one thing, there are no other elephant mascots (that I’m aware of at the moment), and secondly, during this past year’s Georgia/Bama game whoever was in this mascot suit was absolutely busting it down dancing with the marching band in the background of Nick Saban’s halftime speech. Needless to say, I was not paying any attention to what he was saying.
I think the Oregon Duck is kinda cute. Like, it’s giving Donald Duck but less chronically angry, however, he might be a little overrated (cough cough like their football team). And in the words of senior Elliott Seng, “he’s very round.”
Arkansas’ Big Red, Sue E, Pork Chop, and of course Tusk himself. IT’S A WHOLE HOG FAMILY! There is also Ribby and Boss Hog (not pictured), so Arkansas has a whole mascot FLEET. Maybe 5 is a little bit excessive though. Seriously, what led them to create so many hogs?
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, I give you… the Stanford Tree…
Ok, Stanford, what’s going on? Ummmmm, why? It looks so incredibly stupid. It’s not even their official mascot it’s like the band mascot? But as far as mascots go, this one is not one to be super proud of.
Borderline criminal? Walks around with a big plastic gold chain? Almost got a massive box of nachos dumped on him at the Notre Dame/GT game? Well, that would be Buzz from Georgia Tech (featuring Katie, my best friend’s mom’s best friend, which makes her my bestie too). As mascots go he’s not terrible, but also not the best. So he’s kinda meh, I’m just not inspired.
Now on to my personal favorites:
AUBIE THE TIGER!!!! He’s literally adorable and honestly pretty funny. Like, have you SEEN his hype video?! It’s the best. He’s won the National Championship for college mascots 11 times, with his most recent victory in January of 2024. Now before any of you start complaining and say that Auburn has two mascots, let me clear this up. War Eagle is a SAYING, like “good morning” War Eagle, “have a nice day” War Eagle, or “I just failed my test” War Eagle. And who doesn’t enjoy seeing an eagle fly over the stadium before games? Anyway, I love him and no one can tell me otherwise.
The University of Florida’s Albert and Alberta Gator. Ok, hear me out. I’m a little biased because I grew up as a Florida Gator, but Albert and Alberta are cool. Pictured here is a photo of them greeting their adoring fans BECAUSE they are simply that cool and people love them. They are both fun and there are not a ton of colleges that have a male and female version of their mascot. Also, I’m pretty sure they are married. It also just makes sense for them to be gators, there are just so many sitting all over campus. If you have ever been to the Gainesville/Ocala area, you know…
Bevo from Texas is pretty cool. Not only is their mascot outfit fun (just look at his little cowboy hat), but they have an ACTUAL LONGHORN STEER. 
Do I also appreciate all of the guys with the steer in cowboy hats? Yes, but that’s not the point.
If you didn’t see your favorite college mascot here or if I absolutely hated on it, don’t be sad. Either they weren’t cool enough to be included, or they were so uncool that they HAD to be included. As a football fan and as someone who has applied to several of these colleges I have no hate for any of these colleges… except maybe FSU. (go Gators!)
