Sammy the Banana Slug, University of California, Santa Cruz

Banana slugs aren’t the most animated creatures — National Geographic deems them among the slowest beings on Earth — but that reputation hasn’t stopped Sammy the Slug from riling up fans on the sidelines. Sammy has been the official mascot for UC Santa Cruz’s athletic program since the mid-1980s, though the slug was once a point of contention between students and members of the administration. As far back as 1965, students noticed banana slugs crawling around local hiking trails; given that UCSC had no NCAA sports teams at the time, they felt that the mollusk’s low-key, docile nature suited the school well.

But when UC Santa Cruz joined several Division III sports leagues in 1980 and had to submit an official team name, it settled on the Sea Lions — a nod to the school’s geographic proximity to the Pacific Ocean. That’s when the protests (in good fun) began: Students would show up to basketball games and chant, “Slime ’em!” in support of their beloved banana slugs. The school ultimately held a vote in 1986 that ended up overwhelmingly in favor of adopting the banana slug as the official mascot, and Sammy the Slug was born. Sammy has since appeared in publications such as People and Sports Illustrated, and in the character’s 25th year, the Santa Cruz City Council declared September 27, 2011, the “Day of the UC Santa Cruz Banana Slug.”

Big Red, Western Kentucky University

Few college mascots are more mysterious than Western Kentucky University’s Big Red. Though WKU’s athletic teams are the Hilltoppers, Big Red is a huge, furry, red, amorphous character who was intentionally designed to be unlike other college mascots. Big Red’s creator, Ralph Carey, didn’t want to go with a tired animal mascot, and also wanted to avoid any “hillbilly” stereotypes. So, after spending $300 on foam, fake fur, plastic tubing, and aluminum framing, Carey fashioned a unique costume and debuted Big Red on the sidelines at E.A. Diddle Arena on December 1, 1979. Known for its signature belly slide and belly shake, Big Red has appeared on ESPN, been named to the Capital One All-America Mascot Team, and even reportedly inspired a beloved Italian children’s television character named Gabibbo.

WuShock, Wichita State University

WuShock is an anthropomorphized, muscular bundle of wheat that represents the Wichita State Shockers athletics program. A reference to the practice of “shocking” or harvesting wheat, the “Shockers” nickname first appeared on a poster advertising a football game in 1904. It wasn’t until 1948, however, that WuShock debuted as the official mascot, named for the abbreviation “W.U.,” from a time when the school was known simply as “Wichita University.” For the first few years, WuShock appeared as just a drawing on promotional materials, but in 1954, cheerleader Dave Johnson finally brought the character to life using a prototype outfit made for $20. In the years since, WuShock has undergone several redesigns, only a few of which have been considered official. The mascot now wears a black turtleneck with the letters “WSU” emblazoned on the front, and dons a messy, wheat-like haircut as he patrols the sideline rooting for his beloved Shockers.

Artie the Artichoke, Scottsdale Community College

Artie the Artichoke was the culmination of an act of protest. In the 1970s, disagreements over intended budget priorities at Arizona’s Scottsdale Community College led to a period of unrest. During a 1972 vote to determine a school mascot, disillusioned students selected “the Artichokes” in an effort to embarrass school leadership, with other finalists including “the Scoundrels” and “the Rutabagas.” The administration was not happy and called for a second election, but the result was once again the same. And despite the initial discord, Artie has become beloved by students and administrators alike. Fans now colloquially refer to the school as “Artichoke Nation” and the sports teams as the “Fighting Artichokes.”

Otto the Orange, Syracuse University

New York’s Syracuse University first adopted the color orange in 1890, in part to stand out from other schools, none of which used the hue as their sole primary color for collegiate sports at the time. In the decades after, Syracuse’s mascots included a gladiator, a goat, and even a dog wearing a football helmet. None had as big of an impact, however, as the school’s current mascot, Otto the Orange. The character, an anthropomorphic orange wearing a blue baseball cap, made its debut in the early 1980s, and is said to have been designed by a former SU student named Eric Heath. Known as “Clyde” or simply “the Orange” in those early days, the mascot quickly became universally beloved across campus — so much so that in 2004, when Nike proposed redesigning Otto, objections from students and alumni alike ensured that the Orange remained largely unchanged.

The Stanford Tree, Stanford University

Though California’s Stanford University doesn’t have an official mascot — its athletic teams are known as the Stanford Cardinal, a reference to the color, not the bird — the school’s unofficial symbol is the Stanford Tree. First created in 1975, the Tree is technically a member of the Stanford Band, and was originally meant to be a spoof on mascots, before its popularity made it what it is today. It’s supposed to represent a famous redwood tree called El Palo Alto, but the costume (which is remade by each student who performs as the Tree) tends to be more goofy than majestic, boasting big eyes, big lips, buck teeth, and other striking features that add to its cartoonish nature. Several past Tree costumes are now preserved and stored in the school library, where current and former Trees can access them for special occasions.

The mascot is not without controversy, however. In 2022, the 44th Stanford Tree was suspended for displaying a sign that read, “Stanford Hates Fun,” during halftime of a football game. A previous Tree was also busted for drinking alcohol on the sidelines. But despite these follies, the Stanford Tree remains as popular among students as it ever was.

The Blue Blob, Xavier University

Cincinnati’s Xavier Musketeers have long featured a swashbuckling mascot named D’Artagnan. But in 1985, the school spirit squad coordinator decided they needed a new mascot that wouldn’t scare children like D’Artagnan did — and thus the Blue Blob was born. The Blue Blob — who, true to its name, is blue and amorphous, with a furry white nose and a wide smile — is known to “lick” fans with its 22-inch-long tongue and has even starred in a SportsCenter commercial for ESPN, alongside former NFL quarterback Jim Kelly. Blobby’s main job, however, is to act as a mischievous and childish foil to the more serious, sword-wielding D’Artagnan. When the Blob isn’t posing for photos with kids, you’ll find it sitting alongside the cheerleaders at each Xavier basketball game, or rolling around the court (its signature move) as fans chant, “Roll, Blob, Roll!”