The Indiana Hoosiers are one of a handful of Division I collegiate athletic programs without an official mascot, but there’s a new movement among students to bring back the bison that was a fixture at sporting events in the late 1960s.
In November, the Indiana Student Government voted in favor of a bill called the “Bring Back the Bison Act of 2024” in an effort to “strengthen the sense of pride and unity amongst students and supporters of the university.”
The Hoosiers’ football program then seemingly embraced the movement when it posted its 2025 schedule on social media in December, complete with a pair of bison horns breaking through the top of the graphic.
There were also subsequent posts about their trips to Oregon and Penn State this fall, with two bison wading in the water in front of Autzen Stadium and another showing a snow-covered bison staring down a Nittany Lion.
Naturally, some of the responses pointed out how Colorado and North Dakota State already use a bison as their mascot, but as the IndyStar recently reported, the Hoosiers’ use actually dates back to the 1920s, as it was inspired by the Indiana state seal.
Indiana never had a live bison for a mascot, as the idea was nixed by university officials due to a variety of reasons, including the size and weight of the animal, which can weigh more than 2,000 pounds and reach speeds of up to 45 miles per hour.
“The state was like, ‘We’re not going to stop you, but you know that’s a really bad idea, right?” Indiana director of university archives and special collections Dina Kellams told the IndyStar. “The idea did not go anywhere. There were too many concerns about liabilities.”
The Hoosiers instead turned to a costumed bison in 1965, when the bison was officially adopted the school’s mascot. But that only lasted until 1968, when – as legend has it – the head of the costume was left on the tarmac following the Rose Bowl.
“I don’t know if that was the case or not because other newspaper articles I’ve seen have said it was in storage, so this is a missing piece of the tale,” Kellams said. “It just kind of went away.”
The bison made random appearances in the student newspaper and advertisements in the student union in the years that followed, but it eventually disappeared from the public consciousness.
Now, more than 50 years later, it appears the bison is making a comeback. Whether or not it becomes official is another story, though, as the university did not respond when asked for comment by the IndyStar.
Photos courtesy of Indiana University Archives.
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