© Brian Rosenzweig/Herald-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK
Indiana University made a long-awaited announcement on a mascot unveiling following weeks of social media teases. Hoosier the Bison will return to the sidelines in Bloomington.
The news gives the previously mascot-less program a new image. It also brings back a truly horrifying creature to Indiana sporting events.
The school dropped the announcement on Tuesday via its social media outlets. For the better part of two weeks, the university has hinted at the mascot news online.
Indiana has been without an official school mascot for decades. Its nickname, the Hoosiers, simply refers “an inhabitant of the state of Indiana.”
As a result, Big Ten graphics teams were often forced to create a generic image to represent the team in marketing materials. That will be an issue no longer!
One good thing about out Indiana bringing the bison back is not having generic Hoosier man for things like this pic.twitter.com/IdxPyy7M8i
— Nice Bison (@Nice_Bison) May 27, 2025
Hoosier the Bison will take that place. It represents a return to the past, though hopefully with a facelift.
The bison was used as the school’s official mascot from 1965-1969. The university provided reasoning for the choice in its most recent reveal.
“For centuries, Bison walked through what was known as Bloomington along the Buffalo Trace,” the note read. “As a result, Bison imagery has been found over the last 200 years on the campus of Indiana University. It is the distinguishing feature of the State Seal.
“In 1965, the bison became the official mascot of Indiana University. In 1969, it disappeared. On December 16, 2024, a small but committed group of students discussed bringing back the bison.”
The social media clip confirmed that Hoosier the Bison would return. It did not, however, show a close-up visual of the new mascot, but only distant images to provide further intrigue.
The expectation is that it will look much different than what was seen in the past. The old bison was disturbing!
We need to talk about how IU once had a mutant two legged bison as a mascot. Nightmare fuel. pic.twitter.com/cfa3efOd8i
— DK (@DKBXP) November 22, 2022
Images of the old mascot have flooded the internet following the announcement. With that last bison sighting coming 50 years ago, fans are hoping to see an updated costume.
Rumors suggest Indiana’s bison mascot, absent since 1969, may return.
The bison, linked to Indiana’s state seal, was IU’s mascot from the 1920s until safety concerns led to a costumed version, discontinued after 1969.
Though IU Athletics hasn’t confirmed, student efforts and… pic.twitter.com/WgNO4lBdOU
— The Big Ten Huddle 🎙️ (@TheBigTenHuddle) May 21, 2025
Here’s the original bison mascot circa 1965.
The original IU Bison mascot in 1965.
Old-school mascot photos are unmatched. https://t.co/ZLr58jQhMZ pic.twitter.com/cZX7fyxJIK
— Ben Stevens (@BenScottStevens) May 27, 2025
Indiana will have a mascot next year. Hoosier the Bison will be on the sidelines to root the school’s athletic teams on.
The mascot could very well make its debut at the football team’s home opener on August 30th. In the meantime, fans will eagerly await further updates on costume design.