Big Red and Big Red BearThe costumed Big Red Bear "mascot" makes appearances at many Cornell athletic events, and can be seen on many of the university’s t-shirts, key-chains, and the occasional graduate student handbook. The Bear originated in 1916 when football members collected $25 to buy a black bear cub from Maine named Touchdown. For Homecoming 1988, a costumed female bear joined the Big Red Bear. However, despite its ubiquitous presence, the Big Red Bear is not the Cornell mascot: in fact, Cornell University has no official mascot and is simply called the Big Red. |