See SEC schools adorably celebrate National Mascot Day; plus some unknown facts

Mat Raney

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See SEC schools adorably celebrate National Mascot Day; plus some unknown facts image

Long before "The Masked Singer" made ripping the huge, fuzzy head off an incredibly sweaty, hidden human in a gigantic furry outfit all the rage, there were sports mascots.

They are often the unthanked heroes of the sporting world, adding joy, passion, and sometimes even controversy, to the games we take so seriously. 

To celebrate these twelfth men, these under-appreciated human stuffed-animal heroes of the gridiron, June 17th is National Mascot Day. Several SEC teams and their fans took to X (how much longer do we need to type formerly known as Twitter?) to celebrate their strong but silent, plush cheerleaders.

The Texas Longhorns get top billing for not only thanking their pretend Longhorn mascot, but also Bevo, the real deal with real long horns.

It’s hard to top a mascot who shows out like the Boomer Sooner, driving that horse-drawn wagon out onto the field every Saturday like a bat out of hell.

What does an Aggie look like? Who knows. But Reveille is the Queen of Aggieland for Texas A&M, and it must be said, she’s pretty darn regal. Good girl, Reveille! 

The Georgia Bulldogs’ Bulldog, the artist formerly known as Uga, is apparently now known as Boom. Who knew? But he’s still one of the best, or at least the slobberiest, of all the mascots. 

In what may be a record, Smokey X (which sounds like it could make for a good handle for some “musician” who makes all of his or her “music” on a computer) has been the mascot for the Tennessee Volunteers since 2013. Long may you reign, Smokey! 

If they ever make a "Lethal Weapon 5," this should be the movie poster. It would crush, in Lexington anyway. But the Wildcat and Scratch always represent the Kentucky Wildcats with pride.

In all seriousness, here’s to all the amazing mascots in the SEC and beyond who add good times to our lives and energy to our sport! Much love from the Sporting News in 2024!

Mat Raney

Mat Raney Photo

Mat Raney is the author of four books and is a writer, director, and producer of audio, film, and television in Los Angeles. But don’t hold that against him. He’s also a lifelong SEC football and basketball fan and graduated from the University of Kentucky in 2000.