Western Kentucky Football Using Beloved Mascot Big Red In New Way

Joe Londergan | May 27, 2024

Dec 18, 2023; Charlotte, NC, USA; Western Kentucky Hilltoppers mascot Big Red during the second half against the Old Dominion Monarchs at Charlotte 49ers' Jerry Richardson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Western Kentucky mascot Big Red can be found all over the school's Bowling Green campus, including in the form of paintings, drawings and photographs. Now, fans of WKU's football program will get an extra dose of Big Red during games

Earlier this week, the school revealed the renderings for wha the FieldTurf Vertex CORE surface for Feix Field at Houchens-Smith Stadium will look like this year. A rendering of Big Red will be visible on each 25-yard line.

Feix Field 🤝 @WKUBigRed

Introducing our brand-new, state-of-the-art FieldTurf Vertex CORE playing surface!

📲 https://t.co/JXEsNDyDCH pic.twitter.com/bahXRqu7Hh

— WKU Football (@WKUFootball) May 21, 2024

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"We are excited about the installation of the new, state-of-the-art FieldTurf surface inside Houchens Industries-L.T. Smith Stadium this month," WKU Athletic Director Todd Stewart said in release by the university.

"The existing surface has been utilized since the onset of the 2014 season, so it was time to replace it after playing 10 football seasons, in addition to all of the other practices, training sessions, and events it has been utilized for. The new surface honors the timeless tradition of the WKU Red Towel on Feix Field while also incorporating our nationally-recognized mascot, Big Red, on opposite 25-yard-lines. This will be a fantastic surface for our WKU student-athletes to train and play on for many years to come."

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The Hilltoppers open the 2024 season on August 31 at Alabama, but play their first home game on September 7 when they host Eastern Kentucky.