Tale Of The Tape: Facts On Beloved Mascots Cosmo From BYU, WKU’s Big Red
Oct 28, 2020, 3:28 PM
BYU's Cosmo and WKU's Big Red will meet for the first time on Halloween night, 2020. (Photos courtesy of Getty Images)
(Photos courtesy of Getty Images)
PROVO, Utah – When BYU and Western Kentucky (WKU) square off for the first time in football on Saturday night, the stars of the matchup might be the masked characters on the sideline. BYU’s Cosmo and Western Kentucky’s Big Red are two of the most beloved mascots in college sports.
Their fans’ passion was evident back in April when the two mascots battled for the SiriusXM Mascot National Championship. A vote that BYU and Cosmo came away victorious by a slim margin of 2.2 percent.
CONGRATS COSMO!! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/urQ7b4rZKW
— BYU Cougars (@BYUCougars) April 17, 2020
An investigation into voter fraud emerged, but BYU’s Cosmo still took home the highest honor for college mascots.
From bracket rivals to football rivals… who would've thought, @byu_cosmo? 😈#GoTops pic.twitter.com/2TCf517B2p
— Big Red (@WKUBigRed) August 21, 2020
Now the two meet up for the first time on the gridiron on Halloween night, no less. It should make for a fun night. Here are some quick facts on the iconic mascots from both BYU and WKU.
Western Kentucky’s Big Red
Born: September 21, 1979; celebrates December 1st
Creator: Ralph Carey
Initial cost: $900
Species: Bluegrass Blob
Best attributes: Belly slide & belly shake, fuzzy, lovable, amorphous
The People deserved better, and that’s the bottom line, because Big Red said so. 💪 #GoTops pic.twitter.com/K7GHL6jzAz
— Big Red (@WKUBigRed) April 17, 2020
Accomplishments: “Key to Spirit” award winner at the Universal Cheerleading Association in 1980, 1981, 1983; Inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2007; Appearances in “This is SportsCenter” commercials.
Controversy: Western Kentucky filed a plagiarism lawsuit over an Italian mascot named Gabibbo that has a striking resemblance to Big Red in 2003. The case still rages on in the Italian Supreme Court to this day.
Social media following: Facebook – 34,107; Twitter – 12,225; TikTok – 2,644
BYU’s Cosmo
Born: October 15th, 1953
Creator: Dwayne Stevenson
Initial cost: $73
Species: Cougar
Best attributes: Hip-Hop dancing, charisma, intelligence, and honor
Just vibin’ on my birthday with the world famous BYU Creamery chocolate milk 😌 pic.twitter.com/fnwRhE9RaX
— Cosmo Cougar (@byu_cosmo) October 15, 2020
Accomplishments: SiriusXM National Champion Mascot in 2020; World record holder for consecutive windmills; Viral sensation with the dance moves.
Controversy: Cosmo underwent “Cosmotic Surgery” in 1997. The new Cosmo wasn’t as lovable and charismatic as the original. The beloved mascot took in some more surgery and got a new look closer to the one everybody knows today.
Social Media Following: Facebook – 24,650; Twitter – 4,335; Instagram – 168,000; TikTok – 1.5 million
He wasn’t voted as top mascot for no reason. 🎳 @byu_cosmo#BYU #GoCougs #BYUFOOTBALL #LTvsBYU https://t.co/1k1vVSTyvA
— KSL Sports (@kslsports) October 3, 2020
BYU/WKU Football Game Details
Date: Saturday, October 31st, 2020
Kickoff: 8:15 p.m. (MT)
TV: ESPN
Radio: KSL Newsradio (102.7 FM, 1160 AM)
Location: LaVell Edwards Stadium (Provo, Utah)
Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (Saturday from 12–3 p.m., KSL Newsradio). Follow him on Twitter: @Mitch_Harper.
