Getting to know the Big Ten mascots: Who are these guys?

No matter what conference Oregon finds itself in, we know The Duck is the best mascot around and there can’t be much of a debate there. But as the Ducks do move to the Big Ten, The Duck is going to be going to a brand new school, so to speak, surrounded by strangers he can only hope to be his friend someday as he gets used to his new surroundings.

The Duck will need to bid farewell to Ralphie in Colorado and Butch the Cougar up in the Palouse, as well as Wilbur and Wilma Wildcat in Arizona. We still don’t know where Benny Beaver will end up, but he’ll still be around during rivalry games.

As far as Oregon goes, though, the Big Ten will bring on new faces and new places to see. These are the new mascots The Duck and Harry the Husky will have to become acquainted with next season.

Illinois Fighting Illini

No mascot

Illinois did have Chief Illiniwek until 2007, a fictional American Indian figure, but the NCAA deemed it “hostile and abusive” and the school retired the mascot.

Indiana Hoosiers

No mascot

Indiana calls the athletes themselves Hoosiers.

Iowa Hawkeyes

Herky the Hawk

Herky is short for Hercules.

Maryland Terrapins

Testudo

It’s a diamondback terrapin turtle.

Michigan Wolverines

No mascot

According to the University of Michigan website:

Michigan does not have a live mascot comparable to Ohio State’s Brutus Buckeye. The Athletic Department has steadfastly maintained that such a symbol is unnecessary and undignified and would not properly reflect the spirit and values of Michigan athletics. Over the years a number of individuals and groups have proposed mascots in a variety of wolverine costumes but the department has refused to sanction them. Instead, it continues to rely on the wolverine itself as the symbol of Michigan sports.

Michigan State Spartans

Sparty

From the Michigan State website:

Sparty is both fearless and lovable, recognized throughout the state of Michigan and across the nation. He is big and strong, garnering the honor of being voted “Buffest Mascot” by Muscle and Fitness Magazine. Sparty has also been crowned the national champion mascot three times by the Universal Cheer Association, and participates in events across the country — including the NCAA Hall of Champions: Mascot Mania and the Capital One Mascot Challenge.

Minnesota Golden Gophers

Goldy Gopher

From the University of Minnesota website:

Goldy Gopher is one of the most recognizable and beloved figures in the state of Minnesota. With the toothiest of grins, boundless energy, and an irrepressible spirit, Goldy is paws down the best mascot around (with national titles to prove it). On the field or court, at a parade, or in the community, Goldy brings smiles and laughter to kids and adults alike.

Nebraska Cornhuskers

Herbie Husker

Nebraska gave Herbie just received an update for the 2023 season and beyond.

Northwestern Wildcats

Willie the Wildcat

From the Northwestern University website:

In 1933, the Northwestern Athletic Department along with an advertising firm created the first image of “Willie the Wildcat,” the current Northwestern mascot. [6] Willie came to life in 1947, when members of the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity dressed up as Willie the Wildcat in a hand-made costume at the Homecoming parade. [7] The first Willie costume was made up of two people: one wore Willie’s front and the other Willie’s rear end. [8]

In the early sixties, a Wihelmina Wildcat existed and in the late seventies and early eighties, Winnie the Wildcat was also created. However, these wildcats were short-lived.

Ohio State Buckeyes

Brutus Buckeye

From the Ohio State University website:

In October 1965, students Ray Bourhis and Sally (Huber) Lanyon began to build a papier-mâché mascot. The construction took place at the Pi Beta Phi sorority house in the off-campus area, and Stater’s allocated $50 to the construction expenses in mid-October.

The mascot, without an official name at the time, made its debut by walking down the entrance ramp at Ohio Stadium on Oct. 30, 1965, at the Homecoming football game against Minnesota. Shortly after this premiere, Stater’s hosted a contest to identify a name for the mascot, which ultimately was announced as Brutus Buckeye.

Because the paper-mâché Brutus was not durable for Ohio weather conditions, Stater’s voted to allocate $200 to support the creation of a fiberglass mascot. The new model even sported different faces: a smile when the Buckeyes were driving down the field to victory and a frown for when the game wasn’t going so well.

Penn State Nittany Lions

The Nittany Lion

From the Penn State University website:

The Nittany Lion as Penn State’s mascot originated with Harrison D. “Joe” Mason all the way back in 1907. Since Penn State lacked a mascot, Mason fabricated the Nittany Lion, the “fiercest beast of them all,” who could overcome even Princeton’s Bengal tiger. 

Purdue Boilermakers

Purdue Pete

From the Purdue University website:

Today, Pete’s head is made out of a carbon fiber material and is crafted in the same aviation technology lab that produced the locomotive body of the Xtra Special. In addition to the head, the students who portray Pete wear shoulder pads and carry a hammer.

Pete got his start in 1940 as an advertising icon for University Bookstore, and he continues in that role. He first appeared outside bookstore ads in 1944, when editors of the “Debris” yearbook put an adapted Pete on each page. For instance, in the home economics section, Pete had a bucket and mop.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Sir Henry, The Scarlet Knight

From the Rutgers University website:

Sir Henry wasn’t always the face of Rutgers University. When the University was known as Queen’s College, teams were referred to as “Queensmen.” Starting in 1925, you could find a chanticleer (otherwise known as a rooster) on the sidelines of football games officially serving as the school mascot. Eventually, the chanticleer fell out of favor due to its similarities to a chicken, and in 1955, a campus-wide selection process picked a Knight to be the new mascot of Rutgers University.

Wisconsin Badgers

Bucky Badger

From the University of Wisconsin website:

Wisconsin’s loveable mascot, Bucky Badger, has always ranked high in fan appeal and enthusiasm. Although badgers in various forms had been the University of Wisconsin mascot for decades, the version that is currently known as Bucky, sporting a cardinal and white sweater, was first drawn in 1940 by professional illustrator Art Evans of Garden Grove, Calif. In 1949, a student first wore a badger outfit with a papier-máchê head at the homecoming game and the mascot came to life.

The Library of Congress in Washington D.C. designated Bucky’s birthday to be Oct. 2. 

Story originally appeared on Ducks Wire