Who Will Join the Mascot Hall of Fame Class of 2026?
The votes are in. The fan bases have spoken. And now the mascot world waits.
It’s over.
After seventeen days, nearly 150,000 votes cast, fans from 109 countries across six continents — and quite possibly, Antarctica — the voting window for the Mascot Hall of Fame Class of 2026 has officially closed.
The fan bases rallied. The shirts were purchased (each one counting as an official vote). The ballots were cast—twice a day, every day — by fans who showed up for their mascot the way their mascot has always shown up for them. The campaign topped 2.8 million views on Instagram alone, with voting sponsored by The Conspiracists – A Comedy Mockumentary Film.
“It was hectic, with a lot of interaction on socials from all of the mascots in this campaign,” said Christopher Bruce, President of the Mascot Hall of Fame. “The effort the mascots made in reaching out to their fans was incredible.”
Now comes the part that nobody can rush.
The Race Is Over. The Counting Begins.
Eleven nominees entered this vote, representing pro and college sports coast to coast:
- Split — Savannah Bananas
- Hook ‘Em — Texas Longhorns
- Miles — Denver Broncos
- Pirate Parrot — Pittsburgh Pirates
- Mrs. Met — New York Mets
- Goldy Gopher — University of Minnesota
- FIN the Whale — Vancouver Canucks
- Buzz — Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
- Cosmo the Cougar — Brigham Young University
- Purdue Pete — Purdue University
- Cocky — University of South Carolina
Each one of them represents something real — a city, a fan base, a community that showed up and said our mascot belongs in the Hall.
Meet the Eleven
A quick look at who was on the ballot, and why each one earned a spot:
Hook ‘Em has repped Texas since 1975, born straight out of the university’s iconic “Hook ’em Horns” hand sign — a mascot literally built from a hand gesture. (Texas Athletics)
Miles is one of two official Denver Broncos mascots (the other being Thunder, a live horse), bringing what MHOF describes as horse-powered swagger to Mile High energy since the early 1990s. (Mascot Hall of Fame, Miles profile)
The Pirate Parrot hatched from a giant egg at Three Rivers Stadium on April 1, 1979 — timed for April Fools’ Day — the same year the “We Are Family” Bucs won the World Series.
Mrs. Met carries the biggest storyline of this entire ballot: if elected, she becomes the first female mascot ever inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame. (QNS)
Goldy Gopher has represented Minnesota since 1952, logging more than 500 appearances a year and earning four UCA Mascot National Championships along the way.
FIN the Whale has patrolled Vancouver’s Rogers Arena since 2001, played by the same performer for more than 1,000 Canucks games — and as the only Canadian nominee on the ballot, brought serious cross-border energy to this vote. (Daily Hive)
Buzz crashed onto the scene at a surprise 1979 Georgia Tech pep rally and never slowed down, known for crowd-surfing and the signature “Buzz Flip.”
Cosmo the Cougar has been a BYU fixture since 1953, backed by more than 2.5 million social media followers and three Guinness World Records for good measure.
Purdue Pete has swung his oversized head around West Lafayette since 1956 — one of the most instantly recognizable silhouettes in college sports.
Cocky brings a résumé stacked with national championships, a Capital One Mascot Challenge win, and a Sports Illustrated nod as one of college football’s all-time great mascots.
Split, the Savannah Bananas’ resident showman, rounds out the ballot as what MHOF calls a seven-foot-tall, potassium-powered spectacle — Banana Ball’s answer to a mascot.
(Nominee details sourced from Mascot Hall of Fame’s official 2026 ballot coverage.)
Now the Mascot Hall of Fame tallies the votes, counts every shirt sold, and prepares to announce the Class of 2026.
What Happens Next
The Mascot Hall of Fame will announce the inductees for the Class of 2026 the week of August 3rd. Follow @MascotHall on Instagram and every other platform, and sign up for the MHOF Fan List at mascothalloffame.com to be the first to know when the announcement drops.
When the Class of 2026 is revealed, they’ll join the legends who came before them — welcomed into the Hall by last year’s class: Toro, Blitz, SJ Sharkie, Fredbird, and Sebastian the Ibis, who passed the torch and made room for whoever comes next.
A Note to Every Fan Base
Whether your mascot wins or not — thank you.
The energy, the votes, the shares, the shirts, the tagging of friends who didn’t know what a Mascot Hall of Fame was before this month — that’s what this is all about.
The Mascot Hall of Fame exists because fans like you believe mascots matter. This vote proved they were right.
The announcement is coming. Stay close.
