The Evolution of the Indiana Hoosiers Mascot: From Unofficial Symbols to "Hoosier the Bison"

The Indiana Hoosiers, representing Indiana University Bloomington, have a rich and storied athletic history. While known as the Hoosiers since 1923, defining a tangible mascot to embody this spirit has been an evolutionary journey, marked by a succession of interesting figures and, ultimately, the official adoption of "Hoosier the Bison" in 2025. This article delves into the history of Indiana University's mascots, exploring the various attempts to capture the Hoosier spirit and the eventual embrace of the bison.

The "Hoosier" Conundrum

The term "Hoosier" itself, a demonym for residents of Indiana, became associated with Indiana University's athletic teams in 1923 when the football team was dubbed the "Scrapping Hoosiers." The origin of the word "Hoosier" is shrouded in mystery, with numerous theories attributing its coinage to various sources, including a visitor, a contractor, and a poet. However, translating this abstract identity into a concrete mascot has proven challenging.

Early Attempts: A Menagerie of Mascots

Prior to officially adopting the bison as its mascot in 2025, IU experimented with a diverse array of symbols, each with varying degrees of success. These included:

The Owl (1908): The initial attempt at a mascot, the owl, was short-lived. While the potential for a "Hoo Hoo Hoosiers" cheer was promising, the owl's tenure lasted only a year.
The Raccoon (1909): Following the owl, a raccoon was introduced in 1909, continuing the trend of animal mascots.
A Real-Life Toddler (1912): In a unique and unconventional move, the toddler son of athletic trainer "Bernie" Bernstein served as the mascot in 1912.
The Golden Eagle (1916): A golden eagle nicknamed Jim Watson briefly represented Indiana in 1916.
Other Animals: Other attempts to capture the Hoosier spirit included a goat, a skunk and a collie.
A Bulldog Named Ox: A bulldog belonging to the Theta Chi fraternity house almost became the mascot in 1959, but didn't quite make the cut to represent the university.

These early mascots failed to gain widespread support from students and fans, leading to their relatively brief tenures.

Mr. Hoosier Pride

In 1979, Indiana introduced a mascot named Mr. Hoosier Pride, before focusing on the bison.

The Bison: A Symbol with Deep Roots

Before IU officially declared the bison its mascot for the first time in 1965, the animal’s image had long held associations to the state. A bison was depicted on a seal for the Indiana Territory in 1801 and can be seen on the state’s official seal to this day. Images of the bison appear in IU archival material as well. An IU logo featuring the bison is shown in a 1920 issue of The Hoosier, and a 1962 issue of the Indiana Alumni Magazine uses the bison in a new IU coat of arms.

In 1946, there was a brief attempt to appoint the bison as IU’s mascot, but complications arose due to the fact that students wanted a real bison on the field. This was once again the original intention when the Student Senate passed a unanimous resolution on October 14th, 1965, to make the bison IU’s mascot. The plan was for the bison to be kept in Brown County but brought to the field during games, where it would be tied to the scoreboard.

As in 1946, state officials did not allow IU to buy a real bison as its mascot, so the first bison costume was created for the IU vs. Purdue football game held on November 20th, 1965. The next year, the costume was upgraded to one designed by a Disney firm that cost $1,400. But the high-priced costume brought its own challenges: Since it was so difficult for the costume-wearer to see through the nostrils of the costume, the mascot was often led around the field on a leash by a cheerleader.

Although the bison did not completely disappear from the Bloomington campus. Popular Bloomington sports bar Nick’s English Hut adopted the bison as its own mascot when IU first proposed the idea in the 1960s.

The Return of the Bison: "Hoosier the Bison"

In 2021, IU English professor Paul Gutjahr began his campaign to “Bring Back the Bison,” seeing the mascot as an opportunity to promote community among students. He gave out bison-themed merchandise and bought two bison mascot costumes. The idea caught on, and finally, in December of 2024, the IU Student Government voted in favor of the “Bring Back the Bison Act.”

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On May 27, 2025, after several teaser videos posted on IU Athletics' social media, "Hoosier the Bison" was revealed as the official mascot of Indiana University. “Hoosier the Bison” made his public debut on August 30th, 2025, when he flew into Memorial Stadium via parachute for IU’s first home football game of the season.

Indiana Hoosiers Traditions

The Indiana Hoosiers have two fight songs - "Indiana, Our Indiana" and "Indiana Fight!" - along with an alma mater song, "Hail to Old IU".

Indiana's most recognized fight song, "Indiana, Our Indiana", was first performed by the IU Band in November 1912 at a football game against Northwestern. The song has since been played at every Indiana football and basketball game.

Indiana's popular fight song melody is "Indiana Fight!", though the words are rarely sung at an Indiana sporting event. The crowd usually just sings "GO! IU! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! Indiana, we're all for you!" at the end of the song.

Indiana's official Alma Mater song, "Hail to Old IU" was first performed on March 10, 1893, in Indianapolis. J.T. Giles, who organized the IU glee club wrote the words to a Scottish song in order to give the Hoosiers a school song for a performance at a state contest. The song has been a mainstay at Indiana events since that day.

Read also: Legacy of Fordham University

A Legacy of Athletic Excellence

Beyond the mascot evolution, Indiana University boasts a proud athletic tradition. The Indiana Hoosiers participate in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in 24 sports and became a member of the Big Ten Conference on December 1, 1899. The school's official colors are cream and crimson. During the same time, cream gave way almost universally to white. But those colors reverted mostly to cream and crimson in the early 2000s, after then-athletics director Michael McNeely decided that the team uniforms needed to reflect the school's official colors of cream and crimson.

The Indiana Hoosiers have won 24 NCAA national championships and one Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) national championship, in addition to 145 NCAA individual national championships.

Basketball

The Hoosiers' athletic program is perhaps best known for its basketball program, with its five NCAA Championships tying for fourth in history. Indiana's 1976 squad remains the last undefeated NCAA men's basketball champion. A 2018 study listed Indiana as the second most valuable collegiate basketball program in the country.

Indiana has won five NCAA Championships in men's basketball (1940, 1953, 1976, 1981, 1987) - the first two under coach Branch McCracken and the latter three under Bob Knight. The Hoosiers' five NCAA Championships are tied for fourth with Duke (5), trailing North Carolina (6), UCLA (11), and Kentucky (8). The Hoosiers are also sixth in NCAA Tournament appearances (36), sixth in NCAA Tournament victories (62), seventh in Final Four appearances (8), and 11th in overall victories (1,665).

The Hoosiers have won 22 Big Ten Conference Championships and have the best winning percentage in conference games at nearly 60 percent. No team has had more All-Big Ten selections than the Hoosiers with 53. The Hoosiers also rank seventh in all-time AP poll appearances and sixth in number of weeks spent at No 1. Every four-year men's basketball letterman since 1973 has earned a trip to the NCAA basketball tournament.

Indiana has ranked in the top 15 nationally in men's basketball attendance every season since Assembly Hall opened in 1972, and often in the top five.

Indiana has intense rivalries both in-state, against the Purdue Boilermakers (see Indiana-Purdue rivalry), and out-of-state, against the Kentucky Wildcats (see Indiana-Kentucky rivalry).

Women's basketball began as a varsity sport in the 1971-72 season.

Soccer

Hoosiers' athletics is well known for its soccer program; by a number of indicators, it is one of the greatest college soccer programs in the history of the sport.

The Hoosiers have won eight national championships in men's soccer (1982, 1983, 1988, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2004 and 2012), second only to St. Louis' 10. The Hoosiers have also dominated conference play. Since the Big Ten began sponsoring men's soccer in 1991, Indiana has won 11 Big Ten tournament titles. Indiana has also been crowned regular season champion 14 times, including nine-straight seasons from 1996 to 2004.

Indiana players have won six Hermann Trophies (including Ken Snow twice) and three Missouri Athletic Club Player of the Year awards. The Hoosiers have produced 13 United States men's national soccer team players, six Olympians and six World Cup players. Every year since the NCAA began tracking men's soccer attendance in 2001, the IU program has ranked among the top three in average or total attendance. Indiana led the nation in average attendance in 2004 and 2005 and in total attendance in 2003.

Swimming and Diving

The Hoosiers won six straight NCAA national championships from 1968 to 1973, giving them the fifth-most in NCAA history. Their 24 Big Ten crowns, including every Big Ten championship from 1961 to 1985, rank second in the conference's 90-year history.

Indiana has produced 80 individual swimming and diving national champions, over 191 Big Ten swimming champions, 25 conference diving champions and has won 45 Big Ten relay events. The 80 national champions ranks third among Big Ten schools while the individual Big Ten diving, relay and individual swimming crowns all rank second among all conference schools.

Under former coaches James Counsilman and Hobie Billingsley, the men's swimming and diving program won 140 consecutive dual meets, 20 consecutive Big Ten titles and an NCAA Division I record six consecutive NCAA Championships (1968-1973), most of which were won under swimming great Mark Spitz.

Cross Country

The Hoosiers have produced 4 individual national champions and six Big Ten championship teams in 2003, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2019.

Since the inception of cross country as an NCAA sport, Indiana is one of only nine schools in the nation to have won more than two men's national titles, and is one of seven programs to win at least three national titles. The school's three team national titles came in 1938, 1940, and 1942. Indiana's 29 NCAA men's championship team appearances are tied for ninth-most in the sport's history. Indiana has found itself in the top five at the NCAA Men's Championship on nine occasions. A Hoosier has captured the men's individual crown three times, making Indiana one of only six schools in the country, and the only Big Ten school, to have more than two individual NCAA men's cross country champions. The three individual titles rank as the fourth-most by any school.

The NCAA began sponsoring the sport in 1981. individual national champions, something only three other schools in the nation, and just one other in the Big Ten, can claim. On four occasions, the Hoosiers have competed for the NCAA crown as a team (1988, 1989, 1990, 2002).

Wrestling

The Indiana Hoosiers Wrestling began in 1909, with accomplishments such as: 50 individual All-Americans, 12 individual NCAA National Champions from 1932 to 2008, and 1 team NCAA National title in 1932. In 1946 Indiana took 2nd in the Big Ten Championships and 4th in the NCAA Championships.

Duane Goldman was head coach until he retired after the 2017-18 season after 26 years. In his four years as a Hawkeye, Goldman accumulated a 132-10 career record, won four Big Ten Championships and finished as a four-time NCAA All-American. After three consecutive second-place finishes, he won the NCAA Championships in his final season at 190 pounds.

The Hoosiers have seen a tremendous amount of success during Goldman's tenure when he took the team to a top ten finish in the NCAA tournament in 2005.

During his tenure, Goldman coached Joe Dubuque (2005, 2006) and Angel Escobedo (2008) to national championships.

Ice Hockey

The Indiana University men's ice hockey team was founded in 1967, and has played in the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA) Division II Tri-State Collegiate Hockey League since 2019. In February 2022, the Hoosiers claimed their first TSCHL Playoff Championship, after finishing the regular season as runners-up.

The Hoosiers won their first ACHA National Championship in 2024, defeating rival Miami (OH) 5-4 in overtime in St. Louis, MO. Previously, they were members of the Central States Collegiate Hockey League conference, which is part of the ACHA Division I.

The team holds the 1971 and 2001 Big Ten Hockey League championships, 8 Midwestern Collegiate Hockey League (MCHL) championships during the 1980s and 1990s, and the 2002 Great Midwest Hockey League (GMHL).

The Hoosiers men's ice hockey team was the National Championship runner-up in the 1995, 1998, 2000, and 2008 ACHA Division II National Championships, winning their first ACHA D-II national title in 2024.

Rugby

The club was founded in 1962 and played its first game against the Notre Dame Rugby Football Club. IU reached its first national semifinal in 1998. In 2011 they finished the season ranked 11th.

In 2013, IU won the Big Ten Championship match 58-38 over Michigan. In 2015, Indiana defeated Ohio State 34-14 to win another BTU Championship game. Following the conference championship victory, IU achieved a milestone 38-34 win over Kutztown University in the ACRC Bowl Series. This capped a perfect 12-0 Fall 2015 campaign. The Hoosiers finished the season ranked 5th in the country in the D1A rankings.

Indiana has also been successful in rugby sevens, particularly in the Collegiate Rugby Championship, a tournament broadcast live by NBC every June from Subaru Park in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. Indiana has competed in the CRC on 4 occasions since 2010.

The IU Women's Rugby Club was founded in 1996, and has also represented Indiana University at a high level.

Women's Ice Hockey

Despite having a men's ice hockey team since the late 1960s, the women's team was founded in 2019, and began playing during the 2021-22 season. Their inaugural game was a road trip to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in February, with a full schedule planned for next season.

Lacrosse

The men's lacrosse team competes in the Men's Collegiate Lacrosse Association (MCLA) Division 1. The Hoosiers are a part of the Upper Midwest Lacrosse Conference (UMLC) and compete with Miami Ohio, Michigan State, Purdue, Western Michigan, Illinois, Iowa State, Minnesota, and Nebraska.

The Hoosiers previously competed in the Great Rivers Lacrosse Conference (GRLC), and in 2013 were regular season champions for the GRLC D1 East. They finished the season 11-4 with their final loss of the season in the 2013 GRLC Championship game. In 2014, they finished the season 10-4 and won the GRLC conference championship 14-6 against Illinois State, earning a bid to the MCLA tournament, where they lost 18-5 in the first round to top ranked ASU.

Football

Indiana began playing football in 1884 and currently plays in the 52,656-seat, open-air Memorial Stadium, built in 1960. Curt Cignetti was hired as Indiana's head football coach beginning in the 2024 season. The team has won the Big Ten Championship twice, once in 1945 and again in 1967.

Rivalries

The Hoosiers' biggest traditional rival is the Purdue Boilermakers. The West Lafayette (Purdue) and Bloomington (IU) campuses are the largest in the state of Indiana and are the flagship campuses of the Purdue University and Indiana University systems, respectively. IU and Purdue have competed for the Old Oaken Bucket in football since 1925, a series which Purdue leads 70-36-6. In basketball, IU's 22 Big Ten Championships are second only to Purdue's 24. The Boilermakers also lead the men's basketball series 115-89. Since the 2001-02 year, IU and Purdue have also competed for an all-sports trophy called the Crimson and Gold Cup.

IU also has a heated border rivalry with the Kentucky Wild…

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