Every Saturday afternoon from late August to early December, hundreds of mascots take the field with their college football teams. Although every fan base adores their mascot, the truth is that there is there is one that stands head and shoulders over the rest. Or in this case, sits on a hill overlooking the rest. And its name is Big Red.
Since its humble beginnings in the rolling hills of southern Kentucky, Big Red has touched many in its relatively short existence. Big Red embodies WKU’s school spirit as well as the schools geographic setting, as it sits atop a hill. Mark Greer, the second person to portray Big Red, said this about the mascot: “It can make expressions where most mascots have one stupid expression on their face at all times. Big Red can show emotion like no other mascot.” It is the only FBS mascot inspired by a geographic feature. This lovable red blob’s physical attributes aren’t the only thing that distinguish it, because it has lore as deep as the Mariana Trench.
In 2002, Western Kentucky filed a lawsuit against Mediaset, an Italian television company accused of copying Big Red’s mascot for one of its shows. The character that plagiarized Big Red, known as Gabibbo, debuted in 1990, which ironically was the year that Big Red was snubbed of the collegiate Mascot of the Year 1st place ranking. In 2012, Big Red became the first mascot inducted into the Capital One Mascot Challenge Hall of Fame. He is also friends with Grimace, something your mascot can’t say.
In a world of Knights, Bulldogs, and Wildcats, always be a Hilltopper.
Group of five til' I die 