Indiana Releases Video Teasing Possibility Of Mascot? Could The Bison Return?

Partly inspired by "Raiders Of The Lost Ark" and countless horror movie reveals, the video shows a large box presumably in storage in the bowels of an Indiana athletic facility. The "I" and the "U" on the box glow red as animal growls are heard.

The short flashes forward to the present where three maintenance workers are calling it a day and one is charged with standing sentinel over the box with explicit instructions not to touch it.

He pries it open anyway and an otherworldly horn sounds with a large hand reaching out to lift the lid on the box.

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 might be revived.

Indiana athletics has done nothing to tamp down the possibility and Thursday's video just feeds the speculation. 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".

What is Indiana's association with the bison? Indiana's state seal features a bison and so did Indiana University's former coat of arms. The Buffalo Trace was a migratory path for bison by native Americans. It ran from New Albany to Vincennes roughly along today's U.S. Route 150. The Buffalo Trace was important in the early development of Indiana as it was used by settlers to help populate the state.

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 depicted the bison, 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.

Ever since then, the debate about Indiana's mascot has raged on. The Hoosiers nickname doesn't lend itself to an obvious mascot as "Hoosier" is an undefined term to begin with. Some fans feel not having a mascot makes Indiana stand out, but many other have clamored for Indiana to consider having a mascot. The only other schools in the Big Ten that don't have mascots are Illinois and Michigan.

"Bring Back The Bison!" has been a rallying call for some alumni. Some Indiana university establishments, such as Nick's English Hut on Kirkwood Avenue, have kept the bison iconography alive. Several non-official apparel companies have sold Indiana T-shirts featuring the bison for many years.

It appears that those who wanted to "bring back the Bison" may very well get their wish.