Bearcat nominated for Mascot Hall of Fame
The latest accolade for UC’s national champion mascot
The University of Cincinnati's Bearcat mascot has been nominated for the Mascot Hall of Fame’s 2023 class.
WLWT reported that Bearcat is one of 18 nominated mascots recognized for demonstrating a major impact on their sport, groundbreaking performances, a unique, fun and memorable character design and other criteria.
Earlier this year the Bearcat — and UC’s cheerleading team — became national champions at the 2023 College Cheerleading and Dance National Championship for the second year in a row. Previously, Bearcat was named 2009 Capital One Mascot of the Year.
Voting for the 2023 Mascot Hall of Fame class is open through May 27. You can vote once a day on the Mascot Hall of Fame website.
Who is behind the Bearcat?
The short answer: It’s a secret.
The long answer goes back to 1914, when the term first appeared in a campus newspaper.
John "Paddy" Reece's 1914 newspaper cartoon was the first official use of the name "Bear Cats." Photo: UC Archives
The Bearcat was first depicted in an institutional logo in 1922, though it looked more like a grizzly bear than the character we know and love today.
This 1922 logo is the earliest on record with a "Bearcat" incorporated into an institutional logo. Photo: UC Archives
Photo: UC Archives
Then Bearcat came to life, emerging as a mascot in the 1950s when a student began dressing up in costume at games and events.
Its style and design have evolved into the 21st century with its current iteration debuting in 2006.
Photo: Cincinnati Zoo/Twitter
UC also has a live bearcat mascot, Lucille the binturong, from the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens.
A team of six to eight students — whose identities are secret — perform as the Bearcat at around 350 UC appearances and 150 community events each year.
Only when a Bearcat graduates can they reveal their identity — often by donning the Bearcat paws with their cap and gown at Commencement.
Bearcat mascot coach Chris Helmers at his 2018 UC graduation. Photo/Andrew Higley/ UC Marketing + Brand
Bearcat poses with fans at UC Family Weekend. Photo/Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand
Featured image at top: Andrew Higley/UC Marketing + Brand
Become a Bearcat
Whether you’re a first-generation student or from a family of Bearcats, UC is proud to support you at every step along your journey. We want to make sure you succeed — and feel right at home.
Related Stories
Mural by UC grad honors U.S. military history
July 17, 2024
Local 12 highlighted a new mural by University of Cincinnati graduate and artist Brandon Hawkins that pays tribute to U.S. military history.
Social media fuels extreme political rhetoric
July 17, 2024
UC College of Arts and Sciences Professor Jeffrey Blevins tells Local 12 that online algorithms fuel political polarization on social media.
Camp aims to empower children, teens who stutter
July 17, 2024
A one-week, evidence-based program for children and teens who stutter at the University of Cincinnati will teach kids to communicate effectively, advocate for themselves and develop confidence about their communication abilities. Camp Dream. Speak. Live., which is coming to Cincinnati for the first time July 22-26, began in 2014 at the University of Texas at Austin. The Arthur M. Blank Center for Stuttering Education and Research at UT expects to serve more than 2,000 children at camps across the United States, Africa, Asia and Europe this year.
From intern to full-time: Recent Lighting Design grad joins Bandit Lites
July 16, 2024
Lighting & Sound America spotlights recent graduate Riley Rowan's new position at Bandit Lites, a full-service design, management and producer of live events and entertainment.
CCM alum Donald Lawrence to be inducted into Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame
July 16, 2024
UC College-Conservatory of Music alumnus Donald Lawrence is part of the 2024 class of Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame inductees. Located at the Banks in downtown Cincinnati, the induction ceremony on July 27 will feature a parade of stars and a free concert by the Zapp Band.
U.S. stroke survival is improving, but race still plays role
July 16, 2024
U.S. News & World Report, HealthDay and Real Health covered new research from the University of Cincinnati that found overall rates of long-term survival following stroke are improving, but Black individuals experience worse long-term outcomes compared to white individuals.
Building potential
July 16, 2024
Unexpected advice led to a new area of interest and growth for Andrew Matthews, leading him to the University of Cincinnati’s College of Engineering and Applied Science, construction management and cooperative education experiences at Turner Construction.
Pediatric ICU rates linked to housing quality, income, education
July 16, 2024
Healio highlighted research led by the University of Cincinnati and Cincinnati Children's Hospital's Carlie Myers that found a link between pediatric ICU admission rates and housing quality, household income and education.
How to deal with workers' summer slumps
July 15, 2024
A summer slump featuring a loss in the quantity and quality of work is common, and instead of fretting about it, organizations should just roll with it, a University of Cincinnati business professor told Orlando, Florida-based WKMG's Breakfast With Bridgett. Scott Dust, PhD, the Fealy Family Chair in Entrepreneurship and an associate professor in the Department of Management at the Carl H. Lindner College of Business, said summertime changes people's psyches.
Exploring parallels between Biden, Reagan in second-term campaigns
July 15, 2024
UC Professor Brian Calfano explains to Spectrum News how President Reagan overcame criticism related to his age to win a second term.