The Definitive Big 12 Mascot Ranking: 29 Days Until Kansas Football

As we get into the final month before the start of the football season, we approach realignment from another angle and look at the best mascots in the conference.

Andy Mitts | Aug 4, 2023

The Definitive Big 12 Mascot Ranking: 29 Days Until Kansas Football /

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Kansas Jayhawks

Editor's Note: This article was supposed to be Day 35 of the countdown, but technical issues prevented me from getting it posted then. We plan to make up the countdown entry, which we will label appropriately.

When conference realignment rumors start flying, social media turns into a pretty nasty place. It happened for Big 12 fans when it looked like their conference was on the brink of falling apart completely. Now that the Pac 12 is facing a similar prospect, their fans are digging in and lashing out in a way that is all too familiar.

So with today's entry into the countdown, I thought we would lighten it up a bit. Instead of talking about additional potential members for the Big 12, let's rank all of the mascots for each of the teams that are currently tied to the conference. That means that in addition to Texas and Oklahoma, we will also be including Colorado's mascot in these rankings.

In putting together these rankings, I considered two main categories: the looks of the mascot costume and what skills/routines the mascot does. There was no scoring in individual categories, and it was more of a general feel for how appealing the mascot is.

We'll count them down, starting with the nightmare fuel that still haunts the dreams of little children everywhere.

15. Willie the Wildcat (Kansas State)

I just can't help it. Every time I look at Willie, I can't help but be reminded of a first grader who grabbed his favorite dinosaur pajamas and insisted that wearing them on Halloween is the best costume ever. Actually, I take that back. It's worse. This is like the teenage girl who insists on wearing cat ears as her entire costume, and then is insulted when you call her out on her lack of effort.

I don't know anyone outside of die-hard Kansas State fans who actually claim to like this mascot, and the proportion of cartoony balloon head with normal human body is just disturbing. Although it could be worse. They could have made EcoKat the official mascot instead.

14. Mountaineer (West Virginia)

This one was tough to place, because the idea of being able to carry around a rifle pretty much everywhere and not having to dress up in an extremely hot mascot costume IS appealing. But when I think of mascot, I think of that cartoony character that can get away with acting goofy because no one would recognize them when they aren't wearing the costume.

I'm probably not being entirely fair to the Mountaineer, but it just doesn't feel like a "mascot". But I at least have to give West Virginia credit for embracing the decision to not turn the symbol of their identity into a cartoon. They didn't half-ass it and create nightmare fuel in the process.

13. Bearcat (Cincinnati)

I like the idea of the Bearcat, and it's nice to not have another iteration of Wildcats in the conference. But when I look at this mascot, I just don't really know what to make of it. It only bears a passing resemblance to the animal bearing the same name (which disappointingly is neither a bear nor a cat).

I don't feel strongly one way or another about the Bearcat, which unfortunately isn't enough to differentiate it from the rest of the list.

12. Shasta (Houston)

Shasta is probably one of the coolest mascots in all of the NCAA. Unfortunately, I'm not comparing live mascots in ranking, so I instead have to judge the costumed version of Shasta. Unfortunately, I'm not seeing the appeal of the current Shasta costume. It looks like the mascot has seen much better days, but I can't tell if that's a design choice or just a bad photo.

11. Pistol Pete (Oklahoma State)

I'm all for the cowboy look for Pete, both because it fits with the name and it just seems to work so well. But something about oddly proportioned head just weirds me out a bit. When your face is the same size as your torso, something bad happened.

But the issue is nowhere near as pronounced as with Kansas State's mascot, so Pete avoided the same fate of being thrust to the bottom of the rankings.

10. Hook 'Em (Texas)

Again, if we were doing live mascots, it would be really hard not to put Bevo up at the top of the list. But the anthropomorphic longhorn named "Hook 'Em"? That's just too much. From the atrocious nickname to the softened features of the costume in the picture above, this is a great example of a mascot that is just trying too hard. Much like the athletic teams recently, he acts a lot tougher than he is, and I just can't move him up any higher.

9. Bruiser and Marigold (Baylor)

I normally love when schools are able to pull off the mascot one-two punch, and Baylor is no exception. But the facial expressions leave a lot to be desired. Unfortunately, I'm reminded of the shocked expression from Earl Sinclair (not the mama) in Dinosaurs, and every experience I have had where I've seen the mascot in action, they have both seemed very subdued and lacking energy. Probably a small sample, but I don't have anything else to go on.

8. Boomer (Oklahoma)

There isn't much to this one. The name is average, both unique enough and tied enough into the culture to be meaningful, but nothing spectacular that wows you. The horse mascot costume has the right amount of majesty for a horse, with the right whimsy for a mascot costume. But it just doesn't wow me enough to move it up past the middle of the pack.

7. Knightro (UCF)

One of the more unique looking mascots in the country, I'm intrigued by Knightro. The color scheme is clean (and executed much better than that school over in Columbia), and the armor is the right balance of caricature and toughness. I will need to see him in action to see if he gets bumped up at all, but he makes a solid debut in the top half of the rankings thanks to the pun in his name alone.

6. Raider Red (Texas Tech)

I can't help but think about Yosemite Sam whenever I see this mascot, and I find that visual hilarious. But knowing just how off his rocker Yosemite Sam is as a character, it also makes it a lot easier to respect Raider Red, because you just never know what he is going to do. A solid effort with an appropriate name that ties into the school.

5. Cy (Iowa State)

I really want to rank Cy higher, as I have a soft spot for bird mascots. But there is just one thing that bugs me about this costume: the full set of pearly white teeth. They look forced, like someone trying to force a smile while they are secretly thinking about ripping your head off. Unfortunately, it comes across as more cringe-worthy than intimidating. But otherwise, this is a really solid mascot.

4. SuperFrog (TCU)

This mascot gets bonus points for being anatomically accurate, and while the goofy facial expression is a bit weird, it definitely works. All I know is that I wouldn't want to meet up with this thing in a dark alley, but it still looks pretty awesome.

3. Chip (Colorado)

Returning to the Big 12, I can't help but love the goofball that is Chip. I wouldn't say that he is intimidating in any way, but it definitely works for him. He isn't all cute looks though, as he has three first place finishes in the Universal Cheerleaders Association National Championships, with the most recent coming in 2020.

2. Jay and Baby Jay (Kansas)

I'm a sucker for a Jayhawk, and the duo of Jay and Baby Jay are perfect complements to each other. Baby Jay gives you all the cute you could want from a mascot. Jay is just freaking cool.

Call me biased all you want, but the uniqueness angle is a huge one here.

1. Cosmo (BYU)

Seriously, how could I not pick Cosmo as number 1? Sure, he looks like an elderly man dressing as a cat, but it is his routines that give him this spot. He is easily the most athletic and acrobatic of the mascots, and even those that don't pay attention to sports have seen his videos.

With the Big 12 potentially expanding again in the near future, there is definitely room for these rankings to change. But it is hard to argue with the top of these rankings.

I feel a little bad about not giving the top spot to the duo of Jayhawks, but I stand by them. And honestly, as long as the abomination at the bottom stays at the bottom, can you really complain too much about them?

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Published Aug 4, 2023

ANDY MITTS

Andy Mitts is an alumnus of the University of Kansas, graduating in 2007. He previously covered the Jayhawks at Rock Chalk Talk and is now the editor-in-chief at Blue Wing Rising. He hosts the Kansas-themed Rock Chalk Podcast, and is VP of Membership of the Ten 12 Podcast Network. Follow him on Twitter @AndyMitts12.