91-year-old Scrappy costume gets redesigned
Kathryn Krevo / Contributing Writer
With a new conference, seven Mean Green football wins and an undefeated record at home this year, a new Scrappy seems fitting.
On Friday, the mascot’s recent costume redesign was revealed at the Homecoming bonfire. It featured a buffer frame, feet with claws and talons, triangular eyes, and more triangular and pointed wings that are entirely green, as pictured.
“I’m not upset to see Scrappy now when all the other mascots come out,” communication design junior Mackenzie Morrow said. “It’s definitely an upgrade.”
The new costume is designed to look more like a cartoon drawing of Scrappy and the diving eagle logos, said Kayla Spears, athletic department coordinator of marketing and promotions.
Spears said the university wanted the mascot to match the new cartoon eagle logo, which will soon be featured on apparel and gifts sold in the bookstore, allowing them to begin promoting the cartoon drawing of Scrappy to achieve more consistency between the different eagles.
Since UNT entered a new conference this year, the university thought it was time for an update. Spears said the Scrappy costume hasn’t been updated since 1995.
The timing of the reveal was essential. The athletic department didn’t want to reveal Scrappy during the Halloween game against Rice in fear that it would be perceived as a Halloween costume, Spears said.
“I think it’s unique,” education freshman Cheyenne Lockwood said. “It will rally up our crowds a lot more and get people more excited at games and functions.”
The call for a mascot came in 1921 when a student petition was started to decide on an official mascot name, said Stacy Cenal, a journalism senior and UNT Talon’s executive member.
On Feb. 1, 1922, students voted for the eagle, with a dragon coming in second, Cenal said. After several attempts to have a live eagle mascot, the Talons became the caretakers of the mascot and began using human mascots. The Scrappy that everyone knew made his debut in 1995.
“He gets a lot of hype, the way he acts with the audience,” Cenal said. “It’s a good fit for a mascot.”
However, the new costume did come with mixed reviews from the students.
“I like the old one better,” hospitality management sophomore Hannah Fudge said. “It’s intimidating and scary. It’s not the tradition anymore.”
Some students didn’t see much of a change.
“Honestly, the only difference I noticed was in the face,” music sophomore Alex Moreno said.
However, the new Scrappy is here to stay and with the Mean Green football team currently first in its conference, Scrappy will hopefully be bowl-bound shortly.
Fun facts about UNT’s official mascot:
Original name: Normalities and the Normal boys
1921: Student petition began for an official mascot
1922: Students voted for the eagle
1950: Scrappy became the first bird at North Texas
1952: American eagle named Beaky was donated
Run-off election re-named him Victor
1960: New eagle named Victor was acquired
1962: Federal government offered an American bald eagle
1963: Mr. Eagle became the first human eagle mascot
1967: Talons purchased a matching pair of eagles, Scrappy II and Scrappy III
1971: Scrappy became the official name of the mascot
1973: Mascot was named the North Texas Eagle
1981: Mascot name was Mean Green Eagle
1983: Named the Eagle mascot
1983: The mascot was Eppy
Dec. 2, 1995: Scrappy made a full return as the official mascot
Photo: The newly redesigned Scrappy mascot poses with pre-studio art sophomore Lauren Well at the UNT football game on Saturday. Photo courtesy of Well’s Instagram account – lewell900.
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