14 Funny and Unusual College and Pro Sports Mascots

Take a look at these wacky college and professional sports mascots from across the country.

Rumble the Bison

Oklahoma City Thunder, National Basketball Association

Rumble the Bison is one of the few mascots actually smaller than the animal he represents. The bison is the largest living land mammal native to the Western Hemisphere, with some growing to 11 feet long and 6 feet tall.

Zippy the Kangaroo

University of Akron (Ohio)

Akron’s sports teams were dubbed the “Zippers” in 1925 after a rubber overshoe produced by the nearby B.F. Goodrich Company. The name was later shortened to “Zips.” In 1953 Zippy hopped on the Akron sports bandwagon after students picked the plucky kangaroo as the school’s official mascot.

The Pirate Parrot

Pittsburgh Pirates, Major League Baseball (Pennsylvania)

Wonder why you always see movie pirates with parrots on their shoulders? That’s because pirates would collect colorful, exotic birds and sell them for a profit.

Sammy the Banana Slug

University of California – Santa Cruz

Sammy, the merry mollusk mascot of UCSC, is a slimy, shell-less yellow blob. The slow-moving, easy-going, non-combative banana slug was voted the school’s mascot as a protest against fiercely contested sports.

Jaxson De Ville

Jacksonville Jaguars, National Football League (Florida)

American Indian artifacts suggest that jaguars once roamed Florida. These days, the only jaguars found in the Sunshine State play football. Jaxson, the team’s mascot, was the first NFL mascot to travel overseas to visit U.S. troops.

Peter the Anteater

University of California – Irvine

UCI was brand new in 1965. Only one thing bugged students about their school: It had no mascot. The student body decided on a unique mascot, an anteater.

Fang T. Rattler

Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, Minor League Baseball

One of the few snake mascots around, Fang also is the only snake we’ve seen that has arms and legs. T-shirt gun? Nope. Fang wields the Bratzooka, a cannon that shoots hot dogs into the stands.

Pete & Penny Penguin

Youngstown State (Ohio)

Freezing fans in an icy gym watching a Youngstown basketball game in 1933 said the players flapped their stiff arms and stomped around like … penguins. The name stuck.

Dinger

Colorado Rockies, Major League Baseball

Why a dinosaur mascot for the Rockies? During construction of the team’s stadium, workers discovered a 7-foot-long triceratops skull buried in the ground.

WUShock

Wichita State (Kansas)

The shocking truth is a football manager came up with the nickname “Wheat Shockers” in 1904. Before modern harvest machinery, Wichita State students earned extra money by threshing — or “shocking” — wheat in nearby farmers’ fields. WUShock, the grainy-headed mascot, made his first appearance in 1948.

The Mad Ant

Fort Wayne Mad Ants, NBA Development League (Indiana)

Fire ants attack using venom called “solenopsin” that causes a burning sensation. But don’t worry; Fort Wayne’s mascot is completely harmless.

Golden Griffins

Canisius College (New York)

What do you get if you combine an eagle and a lion? A powerful flying creature of mythology known as a “Griffin.” Add a splash of gold paint and you have the mascot of Canisius College. Sports squads at Canisius have been called the Golden Griffins since the 1930s.

Artie the Artichoke

Scottsdale Community College (Arizona)

In 1970 students voted for an artichoke mascot as a protest to the college’s proposal to divert funds from academic courses to pay for athletic teams.

Gus the Gorilla

Pittsburg State (Kansas)

The lack of school spirit drove some students at Pittsburg State wild in 1920. They organized a spirit club known as “The Gorillas” and beat their chests at college sporting events. Gus the Gorilla became the official team mascot in 1925.