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USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Ranking all 18 Big Ten Mascots
The Big Ten conference has some of the most aesthetiycally intriguing and iconic mascots. Whether it be the standard-bearing Oregon Duck, which somehow interprets the concept perfect, or USC, whose human and costume mascots add a unique flair to their program, each program has a distinct hype man backing them throughout their as some fanbases may come to find, none at all. 18. Indiana Hoosiers One of two Big Ten schools without a mascot, there's a lot going against Indiana at the bottom. The first reason being that traditionally, Indian has not been a powerhouse Big Ten school for quite some time despite having some success on the gridiron. Add in the fact the the Hoosiers is very much tailored to the state's rich basketball history and that may be the reason why Indiana can't find a mascot to satisfy all fronts. 17. Michigan Wolverines The other school surprisingly without a mascot, at the very least, Michigan has slightly more aura surrounding its program than the Hoosiers. Their rich footballing history combined with their classic maize and blue color scheme give them the edge in the mascotless race. 16. Iowa Hawkeyes Mascot Name: Harry the Hawk The first school with a mascot on this list, Harry the Hawk does not quite fit the intimidating nature of the team's uniforms. The beak on the head is too unwieldy and unappealing and counteracts the aesthetic of adding a uniform. It would be much higher if they figured out a more presentable beak. 15. Purdue Boilermakers Mascot Name: Purdue Pete The low ranking for Purdue Pete stems from the head. It's highly offputting and eliminates all of the visually appealing things going on with the rest of the outfit, including the camo pants and the hard hat. Plus, it doesn't really fit the model of what a "Boilermaker" could potentially be. 14. Illinois Fighting Illini Mascot Name: Kingfisher Surprisingly, a school with the nickname "Fighting Illini" does in fact have a mascot. And while Kingfisher is perfectly okay and is a much better concept than many other Big Ten schools, the clash between an intriguing mascot and an offputting team nickname is enough to scratch your head. Maybe history will be on Kingfisher's side in the long term, but for now, it's a bit befuddling for the Illini. 13. Maryland Terrapins Mascot Name: Testudo While some might find a turtle as a mascot somewhat confusing, I actually like the look of Testudo. It's almost as if he's half Pokemon and half Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. That aesthetic, at least in my mind, somehow works a lot better than I ever imagined. At the very least as well, it's an effort to be creative with a weird nickname. 12. UCLA Bruins Mascot Name: Joe Bruin Joe Bruin is just a classic middle of the pack kind of mascot that doesn't overdo anything but still might not do enough for certain people. It's a good-looking bear at best, but the color clash between the blue and gold jersey and the brown fur makes it look a bit Build-a-Bearish at worst. Not a good look for a blueblood college sports program. 11. Northwestern Wildcats Mascot Name: Willie the Wildcat Willie The Wildcat has an underrated feel to him. Whether it be the way the name rolls off the tongue or because off the interesting color choice of his fur, Willie might not gets the flowers he deserves for simply fitting the part of what a classic mascot should be. Cool name? Check. Cool design? Check. Most importantly, do you fit the school nickname? Check. Willie the Wildcat is about as solid as you can get for a mascot in the conference. 10. Washington Huskies Mascot Name: Harry the Huskie With really nothing much separating both Willie and Harry either aesthetically or stylistically, at least the Washington mascot can hang its hat on being the best ranked mascot named Harry in the conference. 9. Minnesota Golden Gophers Mascot Name: Goldy Gopher With an off-putting nickname such as the Golden Gophers, it must have been hard to come up with a cool concept for Minnesota. However, they somehow pulled it off with Goldy. Her two front teeth are a major selling point and add to the goofiness of the costume. However, a more intimidating look could have seen Goldy higher on this list. However, kudos to Minnesota for trying to get funky with the idea of a gopher. 8. Penn State Nittany Lions Mascot Name: Nittany Lions Unfortunately, bias is a large aspect as to why Penn State's Nittany Lions is this high. Despite the cool nickname and the somewhat decent looking lion costume, the teeth are too creepy and the fur and blue and white color scheme don't quite fit together. However, you can't knock the school you write about too hard and it isn't all that bad when you combine it with the school's crazy atmospheres at football and basketball games. 7. Rutgers Scarlet Knights Mascot Name: Sir Henry the Scarlet Knight It's sometimes hard to pull off a knight mascot considering how bold you might have to go, but Sir Henry is executed to near perfection. He manages to pull off the scarlet and white color scheme better than the teams that wear them. The only points that I would take off are for the disproportionate head. It's a little bit too goofy to fit the whole knight image. 6. USC Trojans Mascot Name: Tommy Trojan It's one thing to have one cool mascot. Having two on the other hand, is quite the feat to pull off. USC do it in style, with the human Trojan riding in on a horse to hype up the crowd and one of the best looking "royal" mascots of the Big Ten, Tommy Trojan, to back it all up. Also, a more intimidating aesthetic is thus created, putting them a bit higher on the list than Sir Henry. 5. Ohio State Buckeyes Mascot Name: Brutus the Buckeye Having the coolest name in the conference, Brutus checks off a lot of boxes: a cool looking head, great design, the scarlet and grey striped shirt, and somehow, the ability to represent a kooky nickname that otherwise would not make sense in the slightest. For that, Brutus just about breaks into the top 5. 4. Nebraska Cornhuskers Mascot Name: Herbie Husker A mascot finally not named Harry but still begins with the letter H, Herbie is forgiven for not exactly being a Cornhusker. Perhaps the most intimidating of the human mascots in the Big Ten, Herbie is the closest thing to a everyman mascot in the conference. Plus the overalls and boots totally add to the Midwestern vibe as well the classic red cowboy hat. 3. Wisconsin Badgers Mascot Name: Bucky Badger Bucky Badger might just be one of the most cerebral mascots of the Big Ten. Somehow the misshapen head works and combines really nicely with the red and white pinstriped shirt. He is a classic in the conference and won't soon be forgotten in the annals of college football history. 2. Oregon Ducks Mascot Name: The Oregon Duck The Oregon Duck could very well make the case for the No. 1 spot on this list. To make a duck mascot more iconic than Aflac's in college sports is difficult and yet Oregon have cracked the code. Equal parts goofy and scary, it shouldn't work as well as it does. But if the Ducks continue to rise in the college sports landscape, the Duck will go down in history as one of the most unusually fascinating mascots of all time. 1. Michigan State Spartans Mascot Name: Sparty Nothing quite beats tradition in college sports, and Sparty the Spartan is steeped in it. Roaming the sidelines since 1955, Sparty represents the tradition of the Big Ten unlike any other program in college sports. He's more than a mascot at some times, he's an institution that is instantly recognizable to those who love college sports. Quite simply a perfect mascot to round off this list.
USA Today
19-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Grizzlies' Zach Edey charged with reckless driving for going 101 mph in Kia
Grizzlies' Zach Edey charged with reckless driving for going 101 mph in Kia Show Caption Hide Caption For Cedric Coward finding the right fit versus getting drafted early is more important Washington State wing Cedric Coward chats with Bryan Kalbrosky about what he will bring to an NBA team and what he will do to impact winning at the next level. LAFAYETTE, IN — Police say they stopped former Purdue basketball star Zach Edey on May 1 for driving 101 mph in a 55 mph zone on Indiana 25 in southern Tippecanoe County. Edey's northbound Kia Sorento passed the Indiana State Police trooper's southbound vehicle at 7:03 p.m., according to a probable cause affidavit. When the trooper caught up to the speeding car, Edey turned eastbound on Tippecanoe County Road 700 South and stopped. Edey has an initial hearing at 10:30 a.m. Monday in Tippecanoe Superior 6 on a misdemeanor charge of reckless driving. Edey, 23, of Memphis, told police he was trying to pass a vehicle as an explanation for speeding. Insider: Zach Edey left Purdue as one kind of big man. With the Grizzlies, he's becoming another The former Boilermaker was drafted as a center for the Memphis Grizzlies after leading Purdue in the NCAA championship game in 2024. Purdue's men's basketball social media accounts posted a photo of Edey, among other players and alumni, in Mackey on May 6. The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
Indianapolis Star
18-06-2025
- Indianapolis Star
Former Purdue basketball star Zach Edey charged with reckless driving back in Indiana
LAFAYETTE — Police say they stopped former Purdue basketball star Zach Edey on May 1 driving 101 mph in a 55 mph zone on Indiana 25 in southern Tippecanoe County. Edey's northbound Kia Sorento passed the Indiana State Police trooper's southbound vehicle at 7:03 p.m., according to a probable cause affidavit. When the trooper caught up to the speeding car, Edey turned eastbound on Tippecanoe County Road 700 South and stopped. Edey has an initial hearing at 10:30 a.m. Monday in Tippecanoe Superior 6 on a misdemeanor charge of reckless driving. Edey, 23, of Memphis, told police he was trying to pass a vehicle as an explanation for speeding. Insider: Zach Edey left Purdue as one kind of big man. With the Grizzlies, he's becoming another The former Boilermaker was drafted as a center for the Memphis Grizzlies after leading Purdue in the NCAA championship game in 2024. Purdue's men's basketball social media accounts posted a photo of Edey, among other players and alumni, in Mackey on May 6.
USA Today
08-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Texas lands first DT commitment from four-star Dylan Berymon
Texas lands first DT commitment from four-star Dylan Berymon BREAKING: Four-Star DL Dylan Berymon has Committed to Texas, he tells me for @on3recruits The 6'3 330 DL from Monroe, LA chose the Longhorns over Purdue 'AGTG Texas is the place to be!' — Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 8, 2025 Texas Longhorns have landed their first defensive tackle commitment of the 2026 recruiting class. Four-star, 6-foot-2, 320 pound Dylan Berymon of Louisiana has picked Texas over LSU, Purdue, Houston and North Carolina. Defensive tackle is a position of need for UT. Berymon is great start to a solid defensive tackle class. With a strong base and upfield push, Berymon should be an anchor at nose tackle, clogging up the middle to stop the run. Recruiting analysts had pegged Berymon as a future Boilermaker because of some pre-exhisting relationships. But in the end, Texas won out. He will join former Boilermaker and likely 2025 Texas starter Cole Brevard in the DT room. On3's Industry Rankings have Berymon ranked as the No. 172 overall prospect, the No. 19 defensive linema and the No. 8 player in Louisiana. Texas also has a pledge from Louisiana defensive back Hayward Howard. If both players end up signing, they would join Arch Manning, Derek Williams, Wardell Mack and Will Randle from The Boot. Follow us on X (formerly Twitter) at @LonghornsWire.
Indianapolis Star
06-06-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Why Barry Odom dismissed 1 Purdue football player, added Georgia transfers with driving arrests
Barry Odom emphasized discipline as a bedrock principle for his Purdue football tenure. He established it with expectations for attention and attendance at his first Boilermaker team meetings. He reinforced it with the 'Winning Edge' program — grueling, up-tempo offseason workouts designed to enhance mental toughness as much or more than physical skills. When freshman safety Antonio Parker was arrested on drug charges and other infractions weeks after arriving on campus, Odom dismissed him from the team. It sent a message about standards and expectations. It did not, though, establish a blanket zero-tolerance policy toward players with run-ins with law enforcement. The recent vehicle-related infractions of Georgia transfers NiTareon 'Nitro' Tuggle and Marques Easley do not belong in the same legal conversation as Parker's crime. Yet they illustrated the sometimes murky waters into which coaches must wade when rebuilding a roster via the transfer portal. Relationships with high school recruits are built over months or years. In the portal, they sometimes come together in a matter of days. Odom said his staff does what it can to build a network of sources for all incoming players on that truncated timeline. Our book on Purdue men's basketball's Final Four run makes the perfect Father's Day gift 'We've all made mistakes, or I certainly know I have,' Odom said in a Thursday video interview with local media. 'I think there's education pieces that I'm responsible for. ... You've got to decide No. 1, did he make a mistake? OK, why did he make it? Has he learned from it? Are we willing enough to have him in our program because he was issued a citation? 'I'm not the only one making those decisions. There's a number of people that go into stamping yes or no. But we also feel like the culture, the surrounding people that we have that are part of our organization, that we're in a position that it becomes the DNA of who we are on doing the right things and protecting the team and becoming great student-athletes at Purdue.' Tuggle and Easley came to Purdue from a Georgia program notorious for vehicle-related legal issues. Tuggle, a wide receiver, was arrested for speeding and reckless driving on March 19. The police report asserted he was driving 107 mph in a 65 mile-per-hour zone. In a plea deal, Tuggle pleaded guilty to speeding in exchange for dismissal of the reckless driving. Easley, an offensive lineman, was charged with three counts of reckless conduct and one count of reckless driving after crashing his vehicle into the front of an apartment complex on March 22. According to the Athens Banner-Herald, investigating troopers said in the crash report they found evidence of 'laying drag' — intentionally skidding the car. Per online court records, Easley's case has not reached resolution. At the time he and Tuggle entered the portal, both players had been suspended by Georgia. According to the Banner-Herald, Georgia players or support staff members have been charged with speeding, reckless driving or racing in 32 incidents since Jan. 15, 2023. That's the date football player Devin Willock and recruiting staffer Chandler LeCroy were killed in a high-speed crash. Odom said his staff scrutinizes every incoming player, not merely those with a public incident in their past. They look for evidence of a love for the game. They make sure the players know the academic commitment at Purdue exceeds that expected at many other institutions. 'If all of those things align, then we know structurally they will thrive in our system,' Odom said. A QB, skill players, OL and more: Who is in Purdue football's 2026 recruiting class? Another incoming player, safety Myles Slusher, was suspended by Arkansas after a 2022 arrest for disorderly conduct. He served a one-game suspension and left the program soon after. That's three players with public brushes with the law out of the 26 signed in the spring window. Transferring to Purdue provided both Tuggle and Easley a chance to move closer to home, and further from Athens. Tuggle played at Northwood, located southeast of South Bend. Easley grew up in Peoria, Illinois, and played at Kankakee (Illinois) High School, located south of Chicago and about 90 minutes from Ross-Ade Stadium. Odom said both players could make an impact quickly. The Boilermakers need playmakers, and Tuggle was a four-star, borderline top-100 prospect out of high school. The 6-foot-5, 325-pound Easley was also a four-star prospect, ranked in the top 200 per some services. He retains four years of eligibility, while Tuggle comes with three. Odom said he's been impressed with Tuggle's linear speed and ability to change directions. Easley has 'transformed his body' to better use his 'exceptional feet.' Those attributes show up on film. Recent events meant Odom and his staff had to be sure about their evaluation in other areas, too. 'Any time you're going to try to recruit a young man to your campus you make sure they're a fit in every single area,' Odom said. 'And if they're not, it doesn't matter how good of a player you think they are. It'll never work.'
