New Mascot Finalists Revealed! Vote by Sept. 19

The Mascot Advisory and Selection Committee spent the spring 2025 semester thoroughly discussing and thoughtfully narrowing the many nominations for Lewis & Clark’s new mascot. This summer, they were hard at work preparing the announcement of the eight finalists.

“A huge thanks to all who participated in the survey and shared your ideas,” the Mascot Advisory and Selection Committee wrote in an email today to the L&C community. “We were so impressed and moved by the passion and thoughtfulness people brought to the process. The L&C community has a lot of creative ideas, and we would expect no less! Thank you for your patience as we went through the process.”

More than 1,800 individuals―students, staff, faculty, and alumni―participated in the survey. Of the participants, 658 were current students (36.5 percent), 208 were L&C employees (11.5 percent), and 936 were alumni (52.0 percent). The committee considered all 414 unique options that met the criteria provided to participants. Throughout February, March, and April, the committee met frequently to discuss, rank, and narrow down the nominations based on criteria. The committee co-captains worked over the summer to prepare the announcement. The full timeline of activities can be found on the mascot website.

The eight finalists are (in alphabetical order):

• Cascades
• Herons
• Lynx
• Mammoths
• Pronghorns
• River Otters
• Riverhawks
• Timberwolves

NOTE: The photos and eight-bit graphics on the website are placeholders and not an indication of the design of the final mascot. Once a mascot has been chosen, the design process will begin. The committee expects to reveal fully designed mascot artwork in 2026.

Watch the video introduction and read more about each candidate.

Next steps: choosing a winner!

The mascot will be chosen through a ranked choice voting process. On September 10, L&C community members will receive an email from the Mascot Advisory and Selection Committee with the subject line: “Voting for the L&C Mascot Open Now.” The voting will be open until September 19. Voters will be able to rank as many of the final candidates as they wish―from one to all eight. For an explanation of how ranked choice voting works, check out the Ranked Choice Voting Resource Center.

Tabulating the votes and preparing the announcement should take the committee about one week, with a goal to share the winning mascot choice by the end of September or early October 2025.

“Whichever candidate ultimately rises to the top, we look forward to embracing our new mascot and weaving it into the fabric of Lewis & Clark,” the Mascot Advisory and Selection Committee stated. “It’s sure to be an inspiring symbol for the community to rally around now and into the future.”

9/10/25 UPDATE: Ballots have been sent to all L&C community members from the L&C Mascot Advisory and Selection Committee and voting is open until Friday, September 19. Still can’t decide? Watch the Mascot Debates highlight reel from the L&C Speech and Debate team.