Coming into college in 2020, I was deeply saddened to miss out on the absolute phenomenon that is college athletics. Upon resuming game days in my following three years, I found that what sets college games apart and makes them so special is the atmosphere. The electric energy, the fans, the music and, of course, the mascots. Mascots bring up the energy, capture spirit and traditions and are always there for the photo opportunities. Here is my ranking of the Atlantic – 10 Conference Mascots:
Rhody the Ram – The University of Rhode Island
How could I call myself a URI fan without ranking none other than Rhody as number one. Rhody is awesome to put it simply. He’s funny, charismatic, approachable, has killer dance moves… What more could you want in a mascot?
Ramses the Ram – Fordham University
Yet another ram graces the presence of this list, a popular choice for the A-10 Conference. The Fordham Ram is cute, not going to lie. I would be thrilled to snap a selfie with him at a game. The love of the ram is further exercised in the Fordham paper’s title, The Fordham Ram, and there was a brief period from 1925-1975 where Fordham actually had a live ram as their mascot. The combination of these factors lands Ramses a high slot on the list.
St. Joe’s Hawk – St Joseph’s University
Before hearing about the deep-rooted tradition associated with the Hawk, he was ranked much lower because I personally am terrified of birds, however the Hawk has a well deserved slot high up on this list. For those who do not know, the St. Joe’s Hawk is required to flap for the entirety of every single game, both home and away. The sheer commitment to the bit is wildly impressive, brings up the energy and is a cool fun fact overall, earning the hawk the number three slot on my list.
St. Louis Billiken, St Louis University
To be honest, before writing this list, I had no idea what a Billiken was. Upon some brief research from the university’s site, it is a mythical creature known to bring good luck. They have a tradition at St. Louis where buying something with the mascot brings good luck, but being gifted something with his face on it is even more special. This deep tradition of the Billiken is what lands him such a high rank on this list.
Ram – Virginia Commonwealth University
This Ram has some serious swag. He is probably the coolest mascot on this list as far as visuals are concerned. He is the perfect balance between intimidating and cute and his horns are awesome to say the least.
Bona Wolf – St. Bonaventure
Bona Wolf is absolutely adorable and everything a mascot should be. The Wolf is one of the newer mascots making its name on this with his creation just a few decades ago in 1999. Bona was created to replace a previous problematic figurehead, which is absolutely for the best.
Rambler – Loyola Chicago
The Rambler is another wolf. He looks so silly and is always cheesing. I would love to meet him someday.
George (the Revolutionaries) – George Washington University
To be frank, I generally believe that mascots should be animals, not people, which is a severe disadvantage for many mascots on this list. George, however, is a clear exception. Having a founding father as the mascot is cool, however if you check out the original costume, you may experience nightmares.
Rudy Flyer – University of Dayton
Rudy Flyer really has me torn. He is scary, but he also has some wicked cool glasses, which makes him significantly less terrifying then his human competitors. According to his profile, he is considered one of the best stunt pilots in the country and has pranked Chuck Norris which is both fun and silly.
The Patriot – George Mason University
The Patriot is yet another human mascot, which is disappointing to say the least. However, he gains some extra points for having fun colors. This guy is literally bleeding green and yellow.
Lux the Wildcat – Davidson University
Although he does meet my criteria of being an animal (as a mascot should be), this guy looks kinda mean and honestly a little stinky. I could see him getting the crowd hyped up, but cannot imagine being the poor person inside that suit.
Sam the Minuteman – UMass Amherst
What is a minuteman? Another terrifying human mascot, that’s what it is. The state of Massachusetts is saturated in U.S. history which is where Sam originates from, however there was no need to bring that onto the court.
Duke – Duquesne University
The Duquesne Duke is yet another terrifying human mascot. He looks like a generic evil villian in a children’s movie and I cannot see how he would possibly create excitement amongst a fanbase.
The Explorer – La Salle University
Eyebrows! This dude has some seriously scary facial features and is once again a human – enough said.
Spider – University of Richmond
Absolutely terrifying. If this mascot approached me at a basketball game tears would be shed to say the least, so I cannot even fathom the reaction of a child. Spiders are a commonly feared animal and they are no less scary when translated into a mascot.