SB Nation Reacts Survey Results: Which mid-major mascot is best?

Five years ago, the late Mike Leach demonstrated incredible insight and humor with his discussion of the Pac-12 mascots fighting. From the mythical powers of Sparky the Sun Devil to the Beaver holding its breath and the Ute trading for a rifle. Just two minutes of pure gold from the legend.

Anyhoo, we’re here to talk mid-major mascots. Across the roughly 300 mid-major schools in Division I, there are several mascots that stand out. We asked you, the SB Nation fans, who the best mid-major mascot is. And here’s what you said.

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The winner was Big Red at Western Kentucky with 49% of the votes.

Big Red (WKU) – 49%

Is it any surprise that Big Red won? He is one of the most recognizable mascots in all of college athletics.

Born in the fall of 1979, he’s best known for his belly slide and belly shake. How can you not love a giant red blob that does a belly shake on the sideline?

If there’s any question into Big Red’s credentials, he is in the Mascot Hall of Fame and was selected as the favorite mascot (of participating schools) at NCAA Mascot Mania in 2005. He also made the Capital One All-America Mascot Team eight of the 10 times that distinction was awarded.

The Hawk (Saint Joseph’s) – 23%

The Hawk is the oldest mascot on the list and has been flapping its wings consistently since Dec. 3, 1955. Jim Brennan – the mastermind behind the mascot – originally wanted a real hawk at SJU games, but he instead was the first person to don the suit. Since then, a total of 61 people have flapped their feathers.

Ever wonder how many times the Hawk flaps its wings during a game? The answer is about 3,500, according to ESPN’s “flap-o-meter.”

The person underneath the costume attends every game for Saint Joe’s both home and away and is granted a full scholarship. Pretty sweet for someone who does “flying” figure eights around the court.

You could even book the Hawk to appear at your wedding. Truly proving that “The Hawk Will Never Die.”

Keggy the Keg (Dartmouth) – 20%

Yes, Dartmouth’s mascot is a keg!

You better believe this made the list of the best mid-major mascots.

Dartmouth used to be the “Indians”. That out-dated moniker was removed in the 1970s, and now the school is known as the Big Green. However, that doesn’t yield immediately to a clear mascot.

So, during the 2003-04 school year, members of the school’s humor magazine Jack-O-Lantern set out to make a mascot that “wasn’t racist or sexist, yet entirely unacceptable.” Behold the birth of Keggy.

He symbolizes the heavy drinking stereotype of the Hanover, N.H., school.

Keggy made his first appearance on Oct. 25, 2003, and received an incredible amount of fanfare. He’s even received acclaim in Playboy Magazine. If you can combine an Ivy League school, drinking and Playboy, you must be doing something right.

Monte (Montana) – 8%

Last but not least on this list is Monte at Montana. Put some respect on the hall-of-famer’s name. Monte was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2024. He was the third mid-major mascot to receive HOF status, behind WKU’s Big Red and Delaware’s YoUDee.

Monte is one of just three bear mascots in the Mascot Hall of Fame, along with the Houston Rockets’ Clutch the Bear and the Utah Jazz’s Jazz Bear.

He made his debut in 1993 and is a two-time Capital One Mascot of the Year.

See a full list of the mascots in the Mascot Hall of Fame.