Oct. 11, 2004
Hey Reb, the pride of UNLV, and the 11 other members of the Capital One All-America Mascot Team are gearing up for the biggest kitty-litter slinging campaign in history as they pursue the most coveted title in the land - "Capital One Mascot of the Year."
Voting for the top dog begins Monday, Oct. 11 online at www.capitalonebowl.com, or click here. Vying for the acclaimed title are the 12 members of the recently named 2004 team, comprised of mascots from universities and colleges who made the cut in the first round of competition.
The Contenders
Air Force - The BirdAuburn - AubieJames Madison - Duke DogGeorgia - Hairy DawgKentucky - ScratchMaryland - TestudoMontana - MonteUNLV - Hey RebSouth Carolina - CockyVirginia Tech - Hokie BirdWestern Kentucky - Big RedMinnesota - Goldy Gopher
"The contenders are chanting, flapping, stomping and in some cases growling in their bid to be named favorite crowd pleaser in the nation," said Pam Girardo at Capital One. "College mascots have more impact on day-to-day (campus) life than even the president. In fact, most experts agree that the dozen creatures named to the Capital One All-America Mascot Team present an exciting - and more diverse - choice for voters."
Cast Your Vote For Hey Reb!
Voting consists of 11 weekly match ups between the finalists (polls close on Dec. 26). The mascot with the best win/loss record will win the online portion of the contest. This "popular" vote will be combined with a judges' ranking from the initial round of competition (50/50 weighting) to determine who gets the ultimate title. The winner will be pronounced National Mascot of the Year on Jan. 1, 2005 during the nationally televised Capital One Bowl on ABC.
This year's fuzzy crew was chosen from Division IA and IAA athletic programs with college football teams. Hey Reb made the squad after being ranked on "mascot musts" such as: (1) interaction with fans, (2) sportsmanship and (3) community service. The panel of judges, including mascot guru and historian, Dr. Roy Yarbrough; former college mascot and current sports marketer from Richmond Sports Backers Scott Schricker; and representatives from ESPN and Capital One.
"The amount of spirit these mascots generate is impressive," said Scott Schricker, a contest judge. "We've seen that mascots, just like the teams they root for, have a very loyal following. In past years, we've seen colleges and universities pull out all the stops to drive fans to vote for their mascot, including Jumbotron tributes, letters from senators, billboards, newspaper ads and e-mails from eager alumni and faculty encouraging fans to vote for their favorite mascot."
Over the past three years, Capital One has helped thrust the spotlight on these unsung heroes of the gridiron. Team members star in a national advertising campaign, which this year features the mascots as they vie for the heart of "Maiden Melissa" in ads spoofing reality dating shows. In addition to hooplah, Hey Reb received $5,000 for UNLV's mascot program. Mascot of the Year receives an additional $5,000 scholarship to help fund its school's mascot program.
