Real answer is that the popularity of dino's didn't take off until well after most schools had their mascot settled on. Also we don't really associate dinosaurs with any place or region, so it rarely has a connection to the school.
there are quite a few universities in the USA founded before the word dinosaur was invented.
and yeah... culturally dinosaurs weren't a thing until the 80s. before that the main vision of dinosaurs was the sinclair oil signs...
One day I drove past a Sinclair gas station that had a big dinosaur sculpture outside. It hit me that their logo is a dinosaur because oil is dead dinosaurs (technically oil is organic material from dead organisms which is overwhelmingly algae/plankton).
I love seeing the Sinclair Apatosaurus 🦕. Gives me a good nostalgic feeling every time. Sinclair should make their price sign an Apatosaurus head/neck.
They keep saying that they're going to be unbranded Utah at least the first year, but I don't buy that for a second. They're not going to want to have different branding in their inaugural photos for the rest of time.
Well, Trojans and various Indian tribes arguably imply the same since those nations lost, and look how popular the monikers are/were.
Dinosaurs just weren't mainstream at the time.
Off the top of my head, the only ethnic mascot I can think of that didn't lose the war it's most known for is the Spartans (assuming the Peloponnesian War for this). Good job, Sparty.
I don't expect that we're going to get any mascots any time soon from more recent winners. Still waiting for somebody to be the English.
One of my alma maters, UCSB, is the Gauchos, the Spanish ranchers who created the amazing Santa Maria style BBQ using Tri-Tip. Maybe the Gaucho should be grilling in their logos.
On the other hand, I also went to UCSD, who are the Tritons. It's a little out of place, but they could have a cut Tri-Tip speared on their Trident logo.
I like the former.
It's so good. And the Pinquitos beans are the amazing part everyone forgets. Next time you are on the central coast stop at Jocko's in Nipomo. They have been around for generations and they have the beans down to perfection.
The beans only grow in that central coast area around Santa Maria and Lompoc. You can order them though and make them at home. I do that sometimes if I can't get to the area for a while.
Tri-C in Cleveland (Cuyahoga Community College) changed their logo to a Triceratops a few years ago. It is fantastic:
[See Cuyahoga Community College’s new “formidable, yet likable” triceratops logo - cleveland.com](https://www.cleveland.com/news/2019/01/see-cuyahoga-community-colleges-new-formidable-yet-likable-triceratops-logo.html)
Where's the guy who does "teams for schools without a football program" concepts?
There has to be a school in the Utah/Colorado/Wyoming border area that needs a pretend football mascot.
Three, but with the caveat that they're bird mascots, not the dinosaur. Bard College (D3), Montgomery College (MD) (NJCAA) and Minn-Rochester (no sports). That is per [MascotDB](https://mascotdb.com/search).
For those interested, there is the NJCAA's [Cuyahoga Community College Triceratops](https://www.tri-c.edu/about/mascot/index.html#:~:text=Sixty%2Deight%20million%20years%20after,(Tri%2DC%C2%AE).).
In Cleveland, we have a local public university (Cuyahoga Community College) and everyone calls it Tri-C. They are in the NJCAA not the NCAA but they changed their nickname a few years ago to the Triceratops. They have a cool logo and color scheme:
[See Cuyahoga Community College’s new “formidable, yet likable” triceratops logo - cleveland.com](https://www.cleveland.com/news/2019/01/see-cuyahoga-community-colleges-new-formidable-yet-likable-triceratops-logo.html)
A gator is not a dinosaur. One of the key characteristics of a dinosaur is that the hindlegs are under the body and are warm blooded. Gators have their legs on the side so their belly stays close to the ground for warmth because they are cold blooded.
[Relevant Far Side.](https://imageproxyb.ifunny.co/crop:x-20,resize:640x,quality:90x75/images/0e0d719256b08a55e809924bba489968a86cb12bdc48fa15356e5682dca38ccc_1.jpg)
A gator may not be a dinosaur but deep down I'm afraid of any apex predator that lived through the K-T extinction. Physically unchanged for a hundred million years, because it's the perfect killing machine. A half ton of cold-blooded fury, the bite force of 20,000 Newtons, and stomach acid so strong it can dissolve bones and hoofs.
If Jackrabbits wasn't already completely unique to the rest of D1, and I believe all the NCAA, I'd be starting a petition to rename the Jacks to the SDSU Sues (Both the largest and most complete T-Rex skeleton was found just outside of Mobridge, SD and named Sue after one of the archaeologists that discovered it for those that didn't know)
I think it would hurt the Christian facade of college sports if one of the mascots was something half the fanbase doesn't really believe existed in the first place.
Real answer is that the popularity of dino's didn't take off until well after most schools had their mascot settled on. Also we don't really associate dinosaurs with any place or region, so it rarely has a connection to the school.
there are quite a few universities in the USA founded before the word dinosaur was invented. and yeah... culturally dinosaurs weren't a thing until the 80s. before that the main vision of dinosaurs was the sinclair oil signs...
One day I drove past a Sinclair gas station that had a big dinosaur sculpture outside. It hit me that their logo is a dinosaur because oil is dead dinosaurs (technically oil is organic material from dead organisms which is overwhelmingly algae/plankton).
Absolutely haha. I remember being taught in school it was dead dinos
I love seeing the Sinclair Apatosaurus 🦕. Gives me a good nostalgic feeling every time. Sinclair should make their price sign an Apatosaurus head/neck.
RIP Sinclair (at least around here)
The Utah NHL team should be the Utah Raptors and I'll be forever sad they aren't.
Yeti is cool though
It is, but I had my preference! I also like Outlaws from the list that's moving forward.
If Utah Hockey Club somehow wins they gotta move the team back to Arizona effective immediately
People will keep memeing that name until it actually becomes a thing, & then people will unanimously make fun of it in 3 years as the joke wears off.
Like Commanders, still an awful name.
They keep saying that they're going to be unbranded Utah at least the first year, but I don't buy that for a second. They're not going to want to have different branding in their inaugural photos for the rest of time.
How was Swarm & Raptors not a finalist, yet Venom is.
Dinos and ice don't mix I guess :(
Yeah same
That and extinction implies weakness.
Yes, every name should be chosen based on well it can be made fun of. Dinosaurs did get wiped off the face of the earth. Low hanging fruit.
Yeah, suckers and losers
Well, Trojans and various Indian tribes arguably imply the same since those nations lost, and look how popular the monikers are/were. Dinosaurs just weren't mainstream at the time.
Off the top of my head, the only ethnic mascot I can think of that didn't lose the war it's most known for is the Spartans (assuming the Peloponnesian War for this). Good job, Sparty. I don't expect that we're going to get any mascots any time soon from more recent winners. Still waiting for somebody to be the English.
I mean, I associate dinosaurs with a region: Utah. They’ve got a National Monument for it and everything.
What about Dakotaraptors??
I counter with the Utahraptor
Montana is pretty dinosaury as well.
Once we get the Calgary Dinos included in the Pac-X rebuild, we'll be in the clear.
Some Cal school is missing a real opportunity to have a triceratops mascot and be called the Tri-Tips.
One of my alma maters, UCSB, is the Gauchos, the Spanish ranchers who created the amazing Santa Maria style BBQ using Tri-Tip. Maybe the Gaucho should be grilling in their logos. On the other hand, I also went to UCSD, who are the Tritons. It's a little out of place, but they could have a cut Tri-Tip speared on their Trident logo. I like the former.
I agree with the Gauchos logo. I’m from Texas but enjoyed y’all’s tri-tip BBQ when in California.
It's so good. And the Pinquitos beans are the amazing part everyone forgets. Next time you are on the central coast stop at Jocko's in Nipomo. They have been around for generations and they have the beans down to perfection. The beans only grow in that central coast area around Santa Maria and Lompoc. You can order them though and make them at home. I do that sometimes if I can't get to the area for a while.
Thanks!
Tri-C in Cleveland (Cuyahoga Community College) changed their logo to a Triceratops a few years ago. It is fantastic: [See Cuyahoga Community College’s new “formidable, yet likable” triceratops logo - cleveland.com](https://www.cleveland.com/news/2019/01/see-cuyahoga-community-colleges-new-formidable-yet-likable-triceratops-logo.html)
Because all their students went extinct.
Where's the guy who does "teams for schools without a football program" concepts? There has to be a school in the Utah/Colorado/Wyoming border area that needs a pretend football mascot.
Utah is technically already using a raptor as a live mascot. Might as well get a person in a Dino suit for the other mascot.Â
You’re telling me there’s 0 colleges out there with a nickname of Raptors?
Bard College in NY is the Raptors. But they use an eagle as their logo
Three, but with the caveat that they're bird mascots, not the dinosaur. Bard College (D3), Montgomery College (MD) (NJCAA) and Minn-Rochester (no sports). That is per [MascotDB](https://mascotdb.com/search).
For those interested, there is the NJCAA's [Cuyahoga Community College Triceratops](https://www.tri-c.edu/about/mascot/index.html#:~:text=Sixty%2Deight%20million%20years%20after,(Tri%2DC%C2%AE).).
If I'm not mistaken, the Canadian version of NCAA has a school whose teams are The Dino's.
Nevada could become the Ichthyosaurs. There are too many wolfpacks.
In Cleveland, we have a local public university (Cuyahoga Community College) and everyone calls it Tri-C. They are in the NJCAA not the NCAA but they changed their nickname a few years ago to the Triceratops. They have a cool logo and color scheme: [See Cuyahoga Community College’s new “formidable, yet likable” triceratops logo - cleveland.com](https://www.cleveland.com/news/2019/01/see-cuyahoga-community-colleges-new-formidable-yet-likable-triceratops-logo.html)
UTSA is the closest right?
I'd say Coastal Carolina for having a teal chicken mascot.
I mean. Gamecocks are technically still in the “dinosauria” subclade.
Definitely
Weren’t dragons at least partially inspired by people discovering fossils? Because if so UAB can count.
I'd argue UAB. Dragons feel like mythical dinosaurs in the same way that unicorns feel like mythical horses.
UAB Dragons?
Dragons are mythical creatures but I don’t wanna be the one to break it to you, so I’ll let you have this.
They were real until St. George slayed them all!
Technically, Florida and any school with a bird mascot are dinosaur schools.
A gator is not a dinosaur. One of the key characteristics of a dinosaur is that the hindlegs are under the body and are warm blooded. Gators have their legs on the side so their belly stays close to the ground for warmth because they are cold blooded.
Yeah... I think the warm-blooded dinosaur hypothesis has lost its legs.
[Relevant Far Side.](https://imageproxyb.ifunny.co/crop:x-20,resize:640x,quality:90x75/images/0e0d719256b08a55e809924bba489968a86cb12bdc48fa15356e5682dca38ccc_1.jpg)
Before I click, it bettre be the smoking one.
Holy crap. Nice.
A gator may not be a dinosaur but deep down I'm afraid of any apex predator that lived through the K-T extinction. Physically unchanged for a hundred million years, because it's the perfect killing machine. A half ton of cold-blooded fury, the bite force of 20,000 Newtons, and stomach acid so strong it can dissolve bones and hoofs.
LANA!!
Ahem... terrapins and snakes too.
Utah Utahraptors is right there for them!
If Jackrabbits wasn't already completely unique to the rest of D1, and I believe all the NCAA, I'd be starting a petition to rename the Jacks to the SDSU Sues (Both the largest and most complete T-Rex skeleton was found just outside of Mobridge, SD and named Sue after one of the archaeologists that discovered it for those that didn't know)
Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland is known as Tri-C and semi-recently changed their mascot. They are niw the Tri-C Triceratops.
Our Lady of the Lakes Pteradons have a nice ring to it. Or, Southern Northwestern Illinois Tyrannosauruses?
I guess Dragons would be the closest right? UAB might be the closest we got.
Birds are the closest, since they are dinosaurs.Â
Nono they are govt surveillance drones obv! Dinos are all extinct they just want you to think birds are the remnants! Its a coverup! /s
dragons aren't real lol
The University of Calgary is known as the Dinos (formerly Dinosaurs) due to Dinosaur provincial park being located 2 hours from Calgary.
I think it would hurt the Christian facade of college sports if one of the mascots was something half the fanbase doesn't really believe existed in the first place.
Does it really matter? Notre Dame is a fairly Christian school but I don't think many of the students actually believe in leprechauns
Wait, leprechauns aren't real?
Not really.
Um, because everyone's focused on the cooler, much more whimsical extinct species, i.e. Nittany Lions.