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What will Lee Corso wear when he chooses Indiana on Saturday? – The Daily Hoosier
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What will Lee Corso wear when he chooses Indiana on Saturday? – The Daily Hoosier

Okay, okay, not if, but WHEN Lee Corso picks Indiana, what will he wear on Saturday?

For those living under a rock who somehow don’t know, ESPN College Gameday will air live from Bloomington on Saturday ahead of IU’s kickoff and Washington’s Noon ET.

That means former IU football coach Lee Corso will be back in Bloomington.

And Corso’s tradition when making his prediction for the Gameday match is to don the headgear of the mascot of the team he chooses. Corso’s 420th headgear prediction will take place on Saturday.

It’s not always headgear. There have been full costumes and even live animals appearing when it’s time for Corso to make his call.

But there’s just one problem this weekend: Indiana doesn’t have a mascot.

As a coach at Indiana for a decade (1973-1982), it’s something Corso is intimately familiar with.

There have been many attempts in the history of IU Athletics to come up with a mascot. Officially, IU says there have been 16 actual or proposed mascots associated with its athletics programs over the years. Below we summarize some of the most memorable.

Will Corso pick one of these if he predicts a Hoosiers win?

Corso may remember “Mr. Hoosier Pride,” a strange looking guy who seemingly had no real connection to IU or Hoosiers. He lasted one season in 1979.

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Mr. Hoosier Proud. Credit – IU Photo Archives

The mascot that has lasted the longest and probably still has the most popular support is the bison. Bison once roamed Indiana and appear on the state seal. From approximately 1965 to 1973, several versions of the bison mascot costume appeared.

This bison mascot costume was made by Disney and cost IU$1,400.

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The IU bison mascot. Photo credit: IU Archives.

A dog named Ox, the mascot of Theta Chi, unofficially served as the IU mascot in the late 1950s and early 1960s.

So we guess Corso could wear a bulldog headgear? Probably not.

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Os. Photo – IU Archives

This next one might be even more bizarre than Mr. Hoosier Pride.

The 1950s Hoosier Schoolmaster mascot was inspired by a book of the same name by Edward Eggleston. The book explains the origin of the nickname “Hoosier” for Indiana residents.

According to an IU publication, this mascot stumbled into the gymnasium during basketball season and became more athletic as the music tempo increased. The mascot then finished with tumbling steps and stunts to get the crowd excited.

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The Hoosier Schoolmaster. Photo – IU Archives

There was also an owl, raccoon, golden eagle and even a child who all served a short period of time over 100 years ago. And a goat, skunk and collie were among the many proposals that never saw the light of day.

With mascots like this, you can see how Indiana doesn’t have one.

And with limited options for mascot costumes, Corso may choose an alternate route.

Remember these inflatable IU football players from the ’90s? Maybe Corso can put one backstage? Okay, probably not.

Photo – IU Archives

There are always the iconic IU basketball warm-ups. Corso was good friends with Bob Knight when they were both on campus.

The fans would definitely love this look.

Watch: Mike Woodson and Teri Moren address crowd at Hoosier Hysteria 2024 – The Daily Hoosier

Perhaps the best headgear option is a Corso-era IU helmet.

There were a few different versions used in his time, but the “Block I” is probably the most famous.

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Photo – IU Archives.

And of course, there’s Corso’s own iconic jersey and pants from his time at Indiana.

Perhaps this is the right choice on a day when fans will “save out” Memorial Stadium:

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For complete coverage of IU football, GO HERE.

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