13 of the Weirdest College Football Mascots Ever

Take an in-depth look (if you dare) at the 13 weirdest, scariest mascots in all of college football.

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by:
SiriusXM Editor
November 21, 2022

(AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

As we enter another college football season, it’s time to take a look at some of our favorite team’s biggest supporters — their mascots. While they may be beloved, some of these costumes aren’t as cute and cuddly as the animals or people they represent. In fact, some of them are downright terrifying (or make no sense at all).

From Sparty to Sparky the Sun Devil, here’s a look at the 13 weirdest mascots in college football.


Related: College Football 2022 – What You Need to Know & How to Listen


13. Louie the Cardinal, Louisville

Louie, the Cardinal Bird mascot, leads the University of Louisville football team into the stadium before the start of their NCAA college football game against second-ranked Florida State in Louisville, Ky., Thursday, Oct. 30, 2014. (AP Photo/Garry Jones)

AP Photo/Garry Jones

First of all, birds don’t have teeth! Louie the Cardinal is the real-life incarnation of Angry Birds, except he’s the one who holds the slingshot, probably firing humans into a bunch of random objects in hopes of breaking his personal high score.


12. Hairy Dawg, Georgia

Georgia mascot Hairy Dawg before an NCAA college football game against Nicholls, Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016, in Athens, Ga. Georgia won 26-24. (AP Photo/Brett Davis)

AP Photo/Brett Davis

Who let the dogs out?! Hairy Dawg, probably. The meanest bulldog in the nation is not to be messed with.


11. Sparty, Michigan State

Sparty, the Michigan State University mascot entertains fans in November 1998 in East Lansing, Mich. Some MSU fans suggest the school's other mascot, the Spartan Chariot driven by Mike Hall and led by white Arabian horses, could give MSU's foam rubber mascot a run for his money. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)

AP Photo/Carlos Osorio

Sparty never misses a day at the gym and is the descendant of a Spartan warrior. Remember the movie 300? It was all based on Sparty; from the chiseled abs to the insane fight sequences to yelling, “THIS IS SPARTA!” All of it.


10. Big Red, Arkansas

The Arkansas Razorback mascot Big Red poses for a photo during an NCAA college football game against Auburn on Saturday, Oct. 8, 2011, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Beth Hall)

AP Photo/Beth Hall

You remember the end of The Lion King when Pumba goes apes**t on a pack of hyenas? “They call me MR. PIG!” Yeah, Big Red is like that all the time.


9. Willie the Wildcat, Kansas State

Kansas State mascot

AP Photo/Charlie Riedel

Obviously a science experiment gone wrong, Willie the Wildcat has the head of a cat and the body of a human. Think about that for a second — all the evil schemes your cat is clearly plotting against you can now come true thanks to opposable thumbs.


8. Demon Deacon, Wake Forest

Wake Forest's

AP Photo/Chuck Burton

Aren’t Deacons supposed to be the good guys? The Demon Deacon has been known to go cruising on his Harley late at night and put hexes on random strangers. This guy is clearly on the dark side and practices voodoo magic.


7. Pistol Pete, Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State mascot Pistol Pete gestures in the first half of an NCAA men's basketball game against Alabama in Oklahoma City, Saturday, Dec. 18, 2010. (AP Photo/Alonzo Adams)

AP Photo/Alonzo Adams

First, I’m compelled to point out Pistol Pete’s eerie resemblance to Burt Reynolds. That’s scary enough, but when you look closely at that shiny plastic face, it’s clear that this dude is certifiably weird.


6. Webstur, Richmond

Webstur Richmond Mascot

Facebook/University of Richmond

You don’t need to have arachnophobia to be afraid of this creepy-crawler. Webstur is the type of spider that won’t be squished by a shoe or bug repellent. In fact, he probably inhales Raid when he wakes up in the morning. It’s going to take a team of exterminators to even attempt to get rid of him.


5. Purdue Pete, Purdue

Purdue Pete, the Purdue mascot, poses on the sideline during an NCAA college football game against Illinois Saturday, Oct. 8, 2016 at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, Ill. (AP Photo/Bradley Leeb)

AP Photo/Bradley Leeb

Those huge, soulless eyes probably turn you into stone if you stare into them for too long. Not sure what Purdue Pete needs that giant hammer for, but it’s obviously not for anything good.


4. Sparky the Sun Devil, Arizona State

In this Nov. 16, 2013, file photo, Arizona State mascot Sparky the Sun Devil poses for students during the second half of an NCAA college football game against Oregon State in Tempe, Ariz. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri, File)

AP Photo/Rick Scuteri

Sparky the Sun Devil carries a trident and is obviously scheming on the low. I mean, he is an actual devil. Devils are bad. These are facts.


3. Stanford Tree, Stanford

In this Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016 photo, Stanford University student Sam Weyen, who portrays the Stanford Tree, the school's mascot, poses for a portrait on the university's campus in Stanford, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

Yeah. Those eyes. That creepy grin. No thanks.


2. Big Red, Western Kentucky

Big Red, the Western Kentucky mascot, performs in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Louisville on Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012, in Nashville, Tenn. Louisville won 78-55. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)

AP Photo/Mark Humphrey

Seriously, what is Big Red? This red blob bears no resemblance to anything real. And who knows — could it actually be friendly? But right now it looks like Big Red goes around town and swallows people whole.


1. Mike VII, LSU

FILE - In this Oct. 6, 2007, file photo, LSU mascot Mike VI, a part Bengal and Siberian tiger, sits in his cage on the field for his first time before an NCAA college football game between LSU and Florida in Baton Rouge, La. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Mike VII takes the cake as our weirdest mascot because he’s an actual living, breathing tiger! Not a costume, but a real predator that is at the top of the food chain and rules the jungle. LSU has had real tiger mascots since 1936 (enter Mike I) as part of their School of Veterinary Medicine.



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