The Strangest College Mascots: Part II

You probably thought you saw it all—the strangest of the strange—when Her Campus brought you the 10 Strangest College Mascots. Who thought it could get much weirder than UC-Santa Cruz’s Sammy the Banana Slug or the Fighting Artichoke at Scottsdale Community College? Think again—here are ten more wacky mascots at schools across the country! 

1. Student Princes -- Heidelberg University

If you think athletes are treated like royalty at your school, imagine what life is like at Heidelberg University in Ohio, where they root for the Student Princes when cheering for their 18 intercollegiate teams (half of which are women’s teams—female princes?). The Student Prince is a character from an operetta that tells the story of a tutor who graduated from Heidelberg, and asked the king to send his son to Heidelberg to mingle with his peers. The students embraced the story of the Student Prince and switched from their previous mascot, the cardinals, in the 1920s. The Student Prince has reigned ever since!

2. Olé  the Gaucho – UC Santa Barbara

When UCSB fans rooted for the Gauchos during the last March Madness tournament, I don’t think I was the only one surprised that they weren’t rooting for wide-legged, cotton dance pants. Gauchos actually refer to people from specific South American regions. Before 2009, the Gaucho was represented by only grimacing masked eyes and a hat, but with recent rebranding efforts, UCSB fans now have Olé, their mascot and proud Gaucho, to follow.

3. The Poets -- Whittier College

Nothing is more intimidating to your opponents than rhyming verses and beautiful prose, right? This must’ve been what Whittier College was thinking when it chose the Poet as its official mascot to represent its 21 sports teams. With graduates who have moved on to careers as either coaches or athletes in the NFL, MLB and MLL, the Poets prove that you really can be brainy and brawny!

4. Rainbow Warriors and Wahine -- University of Hawaii Manoa

When you think “rainbow,” the next word to come to mind may not be “warriors,” unless, of course, you’re a student at University of Hawai’I Manoa, where they root for the Rainbow Warriors and Rainbow Wahine (which is a Hawaiian word for woman). Since 2000, different sports teams have each had their own take on their name, whether choosing to be the Rainbow Warriors, just the Warriors or even just the Rainbows!

5. Big Red the Hilltopper – Western Kentucky University

While Big Red may evoke memories of spicy cinnamon gum or Cornell University’s Big Red Bear, for students at Western Kentucky University, Big Red is the lovable Hilltopper mascot. Big Red isn’t any animal specifically, just a big, red blob that carries the Hilltoppers’ well-known red towel used at basketball games. Big Red doesn’t just support his winning teams, but he’s also a member of some as well! He’s been a member of Capital One’s All-America Mascot Team and featured in NCAA’s Mascot Mania Exhibit.