UW Mascots

Sabina Badola
Mon, 23 Nov 2015 18:16:49 +0000
Boulevards

The Badgers may be cheered for across the nation, but little do many know that UW system schools have 12 other mascots that represent the state.

Eau Claire: Blu the Blugold If you’re confused about what a blugold is, you aren’t the first. UW-Eau Claire's mascot is unique in that it's their school colors. Students have struggled to define blugold since the 1940s. The university has not committed to an official mascot, stating that a blugold is “a state of being rather than a thing”. But in 2011, the student senate decided to tackle the issue and choose a more definitive mascot while keeping the name. The group conducted a survey that resulted in choosing a bird to unofficially represent the student body. Photo by http://bit.ly/1T22TtV.

Green Bay: Phlash the Phoenix Little do many people know that a badger used to represent UWMadison's former sister school. The badger evolved into a phoenix after a student vote in 1970. The real winner of the vote, "Fighting Tomatoes," was vetoed by judges who believed it was a joke. Photo by http://bit.ly/1lgGEoX.

La Crosse: Stryker the Eagle Colbert (left) retired from his position as the university's mascot in 2012 to make way for Stryker (right) in hopes of increasing visibility on campus and eventually turning the new eagle into an icon. Photo by http://bit.ly/1SiUDpb.

Madison: Buckingham U. “Bucky” Badger You would think the Badger State gets its nickname from the animal, but it's actually because lead miners in the 1820s had to "live like badgers" in hillside tunnels during brutal winters. The first sketch of the mascot appeared in 1940, but Bucky truly came to life in 1949 when a student first wore a badger outfit. Photo by http://bit.ly/1T22NCj.

Milwaukee: Pounce the Panther Former mascots range from the Normals to Gulls to Cardinals. Needless to say, UW-Milwaukee fans were likely going through an identity crisis until settling on a panther in 1965. The most recent change was renaming the panther from Victor E. to Pounce in 2007. Photo by http://bit.ly/1Ofp40j.

Oshkosh: Clash the Titan In 2009, an online poll selected Clash as the new name of UW-Oshkosh’s titan. The name change was done in efforts to enhance branding, draw attention to athletics and energize performances. Photo by http://bit.ly/1XpDefX.

Parkside: Ranger D. Bear Ranger D. Bear stumbled across UW-Parkside by chance. Rumor has it, a terrible thunderstorm separated Ranger from the rest of a traveling circus in Kenosha. Ranger found a strawberry and apple orchard to call home, where he was eventually discovered by the nearby university and, 40 years later, has been the mascot ever since. Photo by http://bit.ly/1Yt2P9W.

Platteville: Pioneer Pete Pioneer Pete is one lucky guy — he became the university's first official mascot in more than two decades. The survey, sent out by the university in 2012, reveals a miner came in close second to the pioneer. Animals, however, were not a popular choice; the other options, dog and horse, fell far behind in the polls. Photo by http://bit.ly/1TdFE0B.

River Falls: Freddy Falcon The university's biology department can take credit for bringing the real life version of Freddy the Falcon to campus. Don't be surprised if you see the pet falcon on the sidelines. Photo by http://bit.ly/1XdI8BY.

Stevens Point: Stevie Pointer The original "mad dog," Stevie Pointer, didn't always fly solo. His lady friend, known as Stephanie Pointer, kept the beloved dog company and acted as a fellow local figure until budgetary restrictions caused Stevie to go stag. Photo by http://bit.ly/1NObxYQ.

Stout: Blaze the Blue Devil Blaze is young’un compared to many other UW mascots. In 2012, students voted on Facebook to select the name over Beau, Harvey and Scorch. Photo by http://bit.ly/1NObxYQ.

Superior: Buzz the Yellowjacket It’s easy to confuse this mascot for a bee, but Buzz is actually a predatory wasp. He’s a big reason why students buzz with excitement every year in anticipation of Jacket Racket, a weekend of school spirit with entertainment, sporting events, and a bash for the school and community. Photo by http://bit.ly/1QH3zqJ.

Whitewater: Willie Warhawk The warhawk became the mascot after a studentrun naming contest in 1958 to replace the unofficial Quakers. The first Warhawk was depicted as a Native American due to Whitewater's historical roots, but complaints in the 1970s led to a change of mascots. Photo by http://bit.ly/1MBlY4j.