The Business of Mascot Merchandising: College Sports Team Monetization

A college sports team mascot is a symbol or figure that represents a college or university's athletic program. These mascots are often colorful and unique characters that serve as the face of the school's athletic teams. The main idea behind a college sports team mascot is to create a sense of identity, pride, and unity among the students, alumni, and fans. The mascot is usually associated with the school's nickname or team name and is designed to embody the qualities and characteristics that the school wants to portray. For example, a school with a fierce and competitive reputation may have a mascot that is strong and aggressive, while a school known for its academic excellence may have a mascot that is wise and scholarly. The role of the college sports team mascot goes beyond just representing the school at games and events.

The role of the college sports team mascot goes beyond just representing the school at games and events. They are often responsible for energizing the crowd, leading cheers, and creating a fun and lively atmosphere. Mascots are also seen as goodwill ambassadors, making appearances at community events, charity functions, and school rallies.

The best nicknames and mascots in the FCS

The FCS is home to great football with great traditions, with nicknames and mascots playing a big part. While there are plenty of Lions, Tigers and Bears across the board, many schools chose a more creative route in naming their teams.

Here are some nicknames across the FCS that stand out above the rest.

Better than a Bulldog: Albany Great Danes, Southern Illinois Salukis, Stony Brook Seawolves

A dog is one of the most common mascots in college sports, but Albany, Southern Illinois and Stony Brook found a way to use a dog creatively. Albany's Great Dane is one of the largest breeds of dogs there is. Southern Illinois' Saluki is a breed that has been traced back to ancient Egypt. Of course, Stony Brook's Seawolf isn't a real dog, but the mythical mascot is a good luck charm according to legend.

Campbell Fighting Camels

If you don't feel like taking a trip to a desert to see a camel, you can take a trip to Buies Creek, North Carolina instead to find the Campbell Fighting Camels. While It's hard to trace the origin of Campbell's nickname, Campbell's mascot is easy to find as Gaylord the Camel is sure to stand out in a crowd.

Colors take over the Ivy League | Cornell Big Red, Dartmouth Big Green, Harvard Crimson

Ivy League classes may be complicated, but Cornell, Dartmouth and Harvard chose to keep things simple with the names. However, nickname simplicity has its perks. The Big Red, Big Green and Crimson have combined for 13 national titles.

Florida A&M Rattlers

The Florida A&M Rattlers have a storied history on the gridiron and the Rattler nickname is known throughout the HBCU landscape. You may have seen athletes and celebrities like LeBron James or Chad Ochocinco supporting Florida A&M, sporting Rattler gear. The green and orange colors stand out for this serpentine mascot.

Georgetown Hoyas

The Georgetown Hoyas nickname is well known throughout the country, but there is confusion about what a Hoya is. Although Georgetown uses a bulldog mascot, a Hoya is not a dog. Instead, Georgetown's nickname stems from the "Hoya Saxa" chant heard throughout the prestigious campus.

The "M" in the MVFC may stand for mascot | Indiana State Sycamores, South Dakota State Jackrabbits, Western Illinois Leathernecks, Youngstown State Penguins

The Missouri Valley Football Conference leads the list with four teams. The Sycamores reference the tall trees in the Indiana region. Meanwhile, Western Illinois' Leatherneck nickname ties its roots to the Marine Corps. Energetic animals take the cake in the MVFC as the Jackrabbits and Penguins are two of the most fun in the FCS.

LIU Sharks

In 2019, Long Island University announced it would be unifying LIU Brooklyn and LIU Post programs. In doing so, the school chose a new nickname, Sharks. The nickname was chosen by a student and alumni vote, beating its competitors, the Eagle and Falcon. Just like the movie Jaws, the Sharks hope to put fear in their opponents.

Murray State Racers

The Murray State Racers nickname stems from Kentucky's long-standing history of racehorses. In fact, Murray State was originally called the Thoroughbreds. After newspapers struggled to fit Thoroughbreds into headlines, a shortened moniker of Racers took over. In 2014, Murray State's baseball team became the last Murray State athletic team to make the switch to the Racers nickname.

Pioneers in the naming room | Dayton Flyers, Presbyterian Blue Hose, Stetson Hatters

Take flight in the Pioneer Conference with the Dayton Flyers. Or, add to your wardrobe with the Presbyterian Blue Hose. If socks don't fit your style, you can always find headgear with the Stetson Hatters.

Richmond Spiders

If you have arachnophobia, Richmond is not the school for you. The nickname's origins go back to 1894. Over 120 years later, Richmond remains the only school in the country with a Spider mascot.

So fun in the SoCon | Chattanooga Mocs, Furman Paladins, Western Carolina Catamounts

In the Southern Conference, the mascots at Chattanooga, Furman and Western Carolina are sure to inspire questions. Since 1997, a Chattanooga Moc has referred to the Tennessee state bird (mockingbird) and the city's railroad heritage. Get medieval with the Furman Paladins, a nickname referring to the knights of Charlemagne's Court. Elsewhere, the Western Carolina Catamounts add a big-cat flair to the conference; a catamount is also known as a mountain lion or cougar, depending on where you are.

Southern Utah Thunderbirds

After three mascot changes, Southern Utah landed on the Thunderbirds in 1961. A walk on campus and you may hear students and staff refer to themselves as a "T-Bird," a shortened version of the nickname. Outside of an April Fools joke in 2008 where Southern Utah briefly became the Prairie Dogs, the Thunderbirds have patrolled the sky.

Stan Becton joined NCAA.com in 2021 and has since served as an FCS, track and field, cross country and HBCU beat reporter. He has covered numerous NCAA championship events, including the FCS Championship, DI Track & Field Championships and Men's Frozen Four. Additionally, he has covered the 2022 College Football Playoff's Peach Bowl and HBCU sporting events like the Celebration Bowl and Legacy Classic. Stan graduated from Carnegie Mellon University, earning a degree in Professional Writing and playing football as a five-year letterman. You can follow him on Twitter @stan_becton.

The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions.

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Georgia Southern Eagles

In addition to providing entertainment and boosting school spirit, mascots also play an important role in marketing and branding. They are featured on merchandise, promotional materials, and even in commercials. The mascot becomes a recognizable symbol that people associate with the school and its athletic program. While the main purpose of a college sports team mascot is to create a sense of pride and unity, they also serve as a source of entertainment and excitement. Fans eagerly anticipate the mascot's appearances and performances at games, often cheering and interacting with them. Mascots create a connection between the fans and the team, making the game experience more enjoyable and memorable. Overall, the college sports team mascot serves as a symbolic representation of the school's athletic program. They play a crucial role in creating a sense of identity, pride, and unity among students, alumni, and fans. The mascot's energetic and entertaining presence adds to the excitement of the games and helps create a memorable experience for all involved..

Reviews for "Mascots and Morale: The Connection between College Sports Teams and Student Body"

- John - 2 stars - I found the college sports team mascot to be quite underwhelming. The costume looked cheap and the design was unoriginal. It felt like they just threw together some random animal costume without putting in much thought or effort. Additionally, the mascot didn't really interact with the crowd or engage the fans. It was just there, wandering around aimlessly, with no real purpose. Overall, I was highly disappointed and expected more from a college sports team mascot.

- Sarah - 1 star - The college sports team mascot was a complete disaster. The character was confusing and didn't align with the team's identity or spirit in any way. It seemed like they just randomly picked a mascot without considering how it would represent the team or resonate with the fans. The costume itself was poorly made and looked more like a generic Halloween costume than a professional mascot. It completely missed the mark and left me feeling unenthused and disconnected from the team.

- Alex - 3 stars - While the college sports team mascot had potential, it fell short in execution. The costume was decent, but the performer inside lacked energy and creativity. They didn't interact much with the crowd and didn't seem to have a clear understanding of how to entertain or engage with the fans. The mascot's presence felt forced and didn't add much to the overall game experience. With a bit more training and enthusiasm from the performer, this mascot could have been a lot more enjoyable. Unfortunately, it was a missed opportunity.

The Role of College Sports Team Mascots in Building Rivalries