Top 10 weirdest college mascots

College sports have the most unique mascots of any sports league by a wide margin. In Division I alone, there are 365 teams, and all of them need a mascot. Some of those mascots are perfectly normal, some are just the same as other schools, and some are just downright weird. Here are the 10 weirdest ones in Division I.

No. 10: Leprechaun, Notre Dame

Having a person in a costume as a mascot is one of the lamest things ever. A grown adult dressing up in a costume to walk around a sporting event, with the whole world being able to find out exactly who is in said costume. It feels silly and definitely is a weird conversation any time someone asks you about your job.

No. 9: Lil’ Red, Nebraska

This guy is in the mascot hall of fame, but looks as if those inflatable tubemen you see at car dealerships and carwashes somehow gained both sentience and legs. His hat, being three-quarters turned, is also off-putting. There are apparently also three versions of Lil’ Red that look like those old Russian Nesting Dolls, which is a bit odd for a secondary mascot.

No. 8: Purdue Pete, Purdue

Continuing with the weird human-like mascots, the story behind Purdue Pete’s original costume is incredibly odd. In the 1950s, the head was papier-mâché and weighed in at 36 lb. It was lost in a fight with Bucky the Badger, but the fact that someone had to wear a head that was five times the weight of a newborn child is astonishing.

No. 7: Peter the Anteater, UC Irvine

This one is more about the uniqueness of an anteater as a mascot. UC Irvine holds the distinction of being the only Division I school with an anteater mascot. Peter was created in 1965 and has a battle cry of “Zot” because apparently that is the most natural-sounding noise they could think of for an anteater.

No. 6: Otto the Orange, Syracuse

Otto is one of the more famous mascots in college sports, but at the end of the day is still an orange ball with limbs. I know all mascots sound stupid when you break down what they are into basic elements, but Otto is still weird even by that standard.

No. 5: WuShock, Wichita State

We go from an orange to what is described as a “bundle of wheat.” The hair flopping over ruins the wheat visual in a way. I don’t know what I want from a mascot that’s wheat, but it is not this. At least give it skinny legs to resemble a wheat stock.

No. 4 Keggy the Keg, Dartmouth

An unofficial mascot, but Keggy is the most recognizable individual to ever come out of Dartmouth. Unfortunately, the costume stops at the waist, and Keggy just has normal human legs, but makes up for it by having his mouth agape, showing off his pearly whites at all times. Keggy feels like a frat mascot.

No. 3: The Blue Blob, Xavier

Another secondary mascot, I had no idea the Blue Blob existed until I started researching mascots for this article. Not to be confused with BOB from Monsters vs Aliens, it looks like a muppet with blue hair making up the costume, as well as allegedly having a two-foot tongue. the Blue Blob also has two feet that are covered by glorified blowing shoes.

No. 2: The Stanford Tree, Stanford

The Stanford Tree is another unofficial mascot, and given the current state of Stanford football, nobody would want to be associated with that. There are multiple versions of the Tree, and all of them are terrifying. One has buck teeth and looks like the world’s most helpless toddler. Another version has Mr. Potato Head's angry eyes and an angry unibrow. A third version has red eyes that make it look like it hasn’t slept since Saturday. All of these versions will make great Halloween costumes to jump scare people in.

No. 1: Big Red, Western Kentucky

A mascot so good that it was copied by an Italian TV show, which led to Western Kentucky suing the TV station for copying Big Red. A lot like our friend the Blue Blob and not related to ‘Lil Red, Big Red is an icon for the Hilltoppers and is essentially a red blob come to life. A one-of-a-kind mascot and truly the weirdest mascot in all of college sports.

Nate Johns is a second-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email jzn5275@psu.edu.