Coaches Feature In Latest Indiana Athletics Videos Teasing A Mascot

In DeVries’ video, the coach is shooting baskets inside Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall and what appears to be a bison appears behind one of the basket standards. DeVries is perplexed by the fact that he’s hitting every one of his shots.

DeVries calls a friend and says, “I can’t miss, and that never happens. Something magical is happening here.” He then appears to see a figure in one of the exits from the playing floor.

The DeVries video demonstrates that if Indiana has a mascot, it will not just be for football. It will presumably cross over to other sports.

The bison mascot used in the late 1960s and early 1970s is most associated with football. There are no photos in Indiana’s photo archive showing the bison at any other sporting events.

So far, Indiana has released four videos. The first featured a growling animal in a box. The second featured large animal tracks in Dunn’s Woods and had former women’s basketball Sydney Parrish appearing in a role.

Rumors have been going around that Indiana might introduce a mascot for the 2025-26 season. Most of the rumors have suggested that the bison mascot Indiana used in the late 1960s could be revived.

When Indiana revealed its football schedule on its social media page in December, bison iconography was used to highlight some of the matchups. The IU Student Government has also voted in favor of a "Bring Back The Bison Act of 2024."

The debate over whether Indiana should or shouldn't have a mascot goes back decades. Indiana had an official bison mascot in the late 1960s - to the degree that kind of branding was "official" at the time. The bison mascot is often seen in connection with football, and specifically, Indiana's 1967 Rose Bowl team.

The original idea was to have a live bison mascot, a la Colorado, but that idea was quickly abandoned in favor of an anthropomorphic bison. The bison mascot was reportedly very cumbersome, hot for whomever was inside the outfit, and there was little in the way of breathing capacity. There were also no eye holes, so a cheerleader had to lead the bison around Memorial Stadium.

Many Big Ten schools introduced or refined their now-familiar mascots in the same period, but Indiana's did not stick.

When the bison disappeared for good is a matter of debate. Some sources cite 1969 as the last year of the bison mascot, but Indiana University archives have several photos from a 1973 football game against Northwestern with the mascot roaming the sideline with Indiana cheerleaders. That would take the bison mascot into the Lee Corso coaching era.

Regardless of when the bison's final appearance was, the mascot was eventually abandoned. Indiana had a brief attempt at another mascot, Mr. Hoosier Pride, in the late 1970s, but he was universally unpopular and quickly scrapped. Since Mr. Hoosier Pride was consigned to history, a mascot for Indiana has been debated. Many fans have desired a mascot, many do not want one.

When will Indiana reveal the mystery? The next major Indiana public event is the annual Indiana University and Hoosiers Connect fundraiser at Huber’s Winery Wednesday, so perhaps by then, it will be revealed.