Photo: Nate Jordan / Aflo / Aflo Images / Getty Images
The State University of New York has launched its annual Mascot Madness competition, inviting students, alumni, and all New Yorkers to vote for their favorite campus mascot in a month-long tournament that mirrors the NCAA March Madness format.
SUNY Chancellor John B. King Jr. kicked off the 13th edition of the competition on Tuesday (March 10), with voting running through Thursday, April 2, at 2:00 PM. The tournament features 38 mascots competing across five rounds for the esteemed Mascot Madness trophy and the title of SUNY Mascot Ambassador.
"New Yorkers know that when it's March, it is time to get serious about filling out their SUNY Mascot Madness bracket," said Chancellor King. "Voting in the healthy competition between SUNY campuses throughout the state on who will win the Mascot Madness Trophy is a great way for students, alumni, and all New Yorkers to show their SUNY pride."
The first-round matchup features Oakie the Acorn from SUNY ESF facing Stitch from the Fashion Institute of Technology. Last year's competition drew more than 330,000 votes and crowned Damien the Great Dane from the University at Albany as the first-time champion.
The SUNY Board of Trustees said, "Every year during the Mascot Madness competition we are thrilled to see our campuses think outside of the box to promote their mascots and showcase their school spirit."
The annual competition is part of SUNY's ongoing efforts to showcase the great sports programs and student experience available on campuses throughout New York State. SUNY offers athletic opportunities at 56 campuses, with over 85 NCAA Division I, 290 NCAA Division III, and 385 NJCAA athletic teams statewide.
Since 2013, the SUNY Mascot Madness tournament has produced seven different winners, with three of them being two-time champions. Fans are encouraged to follow along and show support on social media using #SUNY and #MascotMadness, with round-by-round results expected to be posted as the tournament progresses.
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, serving about 1.7 million students across its 64 colleges and universities.