Backgrounder

Capital One kicked off a new college tradition in 2002 with the Capital One All-America Mascot Team, elevating twelve hard-driving, ambitious, oddly proportioned mascots to the pinnacle of All-American. College mascots are no longer relegated to toiling in the background unappreciated. Gone are the days of working their feathers, fur and tails to the bone in the shadow of flashy All-American quarterbacks, running backs and wide receivers. At last, these unsung heroes of the college gridiron have their own national stage – their own place in the sun.

In a quest to honor these unsung heroes, each year the company sends out a call for nominations to all of the nation’s Division IA and IAA athletic programs with college football teams. From a list of contenders, a panel of mascot aficionados chooses 12 talented mascots to be members of the Capital One All-America Mascot Team. Judging is based on how well the mascots interact with fans, good sportsmanship and community service.

Being named an All-American comes with its fair share of perks – the photo shoots, a national advertising campaign, the parties, the mascot groupies and star power. Plus, each member of the mascot team receives $5,000 for its school’s mascot program.

But being named an All-American is only the beginning. The 12 mascots are then embroiled in a fierce battle to claim the most coveted title in all the mascot land – Capital One National Mascot of the Year. Beginning in the fall, fans can vote for their favorite of the 12 at www.capitalonebowl.com. This online (“popular”) vote is combined with a judges’ ranking (50/50) to determine the winner. Historically, the colleges and universities have pulled out all the stops to drive fans to vote for their mascot. We’ve seen Jumbotron tributes, letters from state senators, billboards, television and newspaper ads and e-mails from eager alumni and college staffs enticing millions of loyal fans to go online and vote for their favorite lovable, wild and wacky character.

But alas, each year only one mascot can reign supreme. The University of Montana’s “Monte the Grizzly” claimed the title in 2002 and “Cocky” from the University of South Carolina got bragging rights in 2003.

Glory awaits whichever mascot is named the 2004 Capital One National Mascot of the Year— who’s the best of the best? Find out during the Capital One Bowl on January 1, 2005. Capital One All-America Mascot Team 2004

Meet the Team They’re brash. They’re feisty. One’s even a bit cocky, and another’s a real “rebel.” This year’s Capital One All-America Mascot Team represents colleges and universities from coast to coast. While these mascots come in all shapes and sizes – two dogs, 2004 All-America Mascot Team two cats, three birds, a turtle, a bear, a rebel, a gopher and one big red blob – How They Were Chosen they all have one thing in common. They The 2004 Capital One All-America Mascot Team was open to all really know how to put the “pep” into NCAA Division IA & IAA college mascots who were mascots during any pep rally. the period from Sept. 1, 2003 through June 1, 2004. Nomination The Team (in alpha order by school): kits were mailed to each athletic department with football programs in March 2004, and were due by 5 p.m. EDT, Friday, June 4, 2004. ★ The Bird – Air Force Academy

★ Aubie – On June 10, 2004, behind closed doors in a highly-secured board- ★ Hairy Dawg – room, a panel of skilled mascot judges—including mascot guru and ★ Duke Dog – James Madison University historian, Dr. Roy Yarbrough; former college mascot and current sports marketer Scott Schricker; and representatives from ESPN and ★ Scratch – Capital One—carefully analyzed each contender and scored them ★ Testudo – University of Maryland based on the following criteria: ★ ★ Goldy – University of Minnesota Interaction with fans and demonstration of the mascot’s originality, ability to create enthusiasm among the fans and ★ Monte – University of Montana contribution to an exhilarating atmosphere. (0-50 points) ★ Cocky – University of South Carolina ★ Originality, creativity and professionalism of the mascot’s ★ Hey Reb – Univ. of Nevada Las Vegas appearance/costume. (0-20 points) ★ Demonstration of good sportsmanship. (0-15 points) ★ The Hokie Bird – Virginia Tech ★ Involvement in community service. (0-15 points) ★ Big Red – Western Kentucky University At the end of the day, the top 12 mascots with the most points were selected to the team. Timeline

★ March 30, 2004 Nomination kits sent to Division IA and IAA schools

★ June 4, 2004 Nomination kits due back to Capital One

★ June 10, 2004 Judging for the Capital One All-America Mascot Team

★ June 14 - 18, 2004 Notification to the 12 winning schools

★ August 11-13, 2004 Mascot advertising shoot

★ TBD Official announcement of the Capital One All-America Mascot Team

★ October 11, 2004 Race for Capital One National Mascot of the Year begins (Online voting poll opens at capitalonebowl.com) Press Contacts

★ December 26, 2004 Pam Girardo Online voting ends 703.720.2351 [email protected] ★ January 1, 2005 Announcement of the Capital One Mandy O'Donnell National Mascot of the Year during 212.468.3648 the Capital One Bowl in Orlando, Fla. mandy.o'[email protected] Mascot of the Year

Some people think that recognition as a member of the Capital One All-America Mascot Team is the highest in the land. But that’s not the case. From day one of being named to this prestigious team, the 12 All-America Mascots will be embroiled in a fierce battle to claim the most coveted mascot title – Capital One National Mascot of the Year.

Just ask Monte from the University of Montana or Cocky from the University of South Carolina, our previous winners. They will tell you (in truth, they can’t talk) that it takes a lot of hard work and a lot more than the “bear” necessities to win the crown and have something to crow about.

Glory awaits whichever mascot is named the 2004 Capital One National Mascot of the Year. Who’s the best of the best? Find out during the Capital One Bowl on January 1, 2005.

Eligible Mascots To earn the title 2004 National Mascot of the Year, mascots must have been named to the 2004 Capital One All-America Mascot Team.

Capital One National Mascot of the Year Selection This year’s race for Capital One National Mascot of the Year will begin October 11, 2004, when fans across the country will be able to log onto www.capitalonebowl.com to vote for their favorite mascots among the 12 All-Americans. Voting will consist of eleven (11) weekly match-ups between mascots. Voters will need to cast six (6) votes total each week to select the winning mascot of each match-up. Visitors may vote once per day on www.capitalonebowl.com. The real-time poll closes on December 26, 2004. However, unlike your senior prom king and queen, this contest will not be based solely on popularity. The Capital One National Mascot of the Year will be selected based upon the cumulative total number of points received from the panel of judges and the online voting results. The mascot with the most points will become this year’s Capital One National Mascot of the year on Jan. 1, 2005, during the Capital One Bowl game in Orlando, Fla., and will receive an additional $5,000 scholarship to help fund its school’s mascot program. 2003 Capital One National Mascot of the Year University of South Carolina’s Cocky

How it Works

★ Judges’ Ranking (50%): Each mascot is assigned a point value based on the judges' scoring. The top mascot based on the judges' cumulative scores receives 12 points, the next highest receives 11 points and so on through 12th place which receives one point.

★ Popular Vote (50%): Mascots also will be ranked one through 12 based on the total number of online votes they receive during the voting period. The mascot receiving the most votes earns 12 points, the next highest receives 11 points and so on through 12th place which receives one point.

2002 Capital One National Mascot of the Year University of Montana’s Monte Inaugural (2002) Capital One All-America Mascot Team Front: (Univ. of Tennessee). Standing left to right: Otto (Syracuse University), The Bird (U.S. Air Force Academy), Monte (Univ. of Montana), Sebastian (Univ. of Miami), Nittany Lion (Penn State), Buzz (Georgia Tech), (Univ. of Alabama), Albert (Univ. of Florida), Big Red (Western Kentucky University), Victor E. Bull (Univ. at Buffalo), Seymour (Univ. of Southern Mississippi).

2003 Capital One All-American Mascot Team Kneeling or sitting left to right: Aubie (Auburn University), Monte (Univ. of Montana), Smokey (Univ. of Tennessee), YoUDee (Univ. of Delaware), Albert (Univ. of Florida), Harry the Husky (Univ. of Washington). Standing left to right: Cocky (Univ. of South Carolina), Big Red (Western Kentucky University), Scratch (Univ. of Kentucky), Brutus Buckeye (Ohio State University), Hairy Dawg (Univ. of Georgia), Chip (Univ. of Colorado). Fun Facts

mas·cot - ('mas-"kät) noun: 1. symbol of good luck 2. a person, animal or thing that is believed to bring good luck, usually one that becomes the symbol of a particular group, especially a team (Date: 1881)

What would college athletics be like without our beloved mascots? They entertain us, energize us and put the “pep” in Pep Rally. Even if the home team is losing to the archrival, the roar, hiss, or flap of our beloved mascot lives on.

So whether they’re fighting mad like the Irish of Notre Dame, stubborn as a Mule from Central Missouri State, mean as a Rattler from Florida A&M or just plain Cocky from South Carolina, mascots play a crucial role in college athletics.

Here are some fun facts about those wild and zany college mascots...

In the Beginning … The first college mascots appeared at sporting events in the late 1800s. Yale University claims to be the first school to adopt a mascot – Handsome Dan the Bulldog. The Elis were 125-6 with Handsome Dan I on the sidelines. He was rewarded by being stuffed and preserved behind glass in the trophy room of Yale’s gymnasium. Sources: http://www.yale.edu and The Times-Picayune (Oct. 2, 1999).

It’s a Jungle Out There Contrary to today’s “human” mascots in costumes, the first mascots were live animals. The majority of colleges and universities soon abandoned this way of “mascotting” because of the high costs associated with caring for the animals. Source: http://www.gameops.com

He Ain’t Heavy … That’s Just His Costume Mascot costumes can weigh up to 25 – 30 pounds, although the average weight is approximately 10 – 15 pounds. Source: http://www.gameops.com

Never Let ‘Em See You Sweat The golden rule: never remove the head in public. Source: http://www.gameops.com

The Eagle Has Landed The Eagle is the most common college mascot. Rounding out the top 10 are (No. 2) Tigers, (No. 3) Bulldogs, (No. 4) Knights, (No. 5) Panthers, (No. 6-tie) Bears, (No. 6-tie) Crusaders, (No. 8-tie) Lions, (No. 8-tie) Warriors and (No. 10-tie) Pioneers, (No. 10-tie) Saints. Source: “Mascots, The History of Senior College and University Mascots/Nicknames," by Dr. Roy E. Yarbrough. More Fun Facts

The Fighting … Oh Never Mind Several colleges have no mascot at all – Barnard College, Dartmouth College, Hollins College, Stanford, Walla Walla College, Agnus Scott College and Wellesley College. Source: “Mascots, The History of Senior College and University Mascots/Nicknames," by Dr. Roy E. Yarbrough.

A Family Affair If college mascots wanted to have a family reunion, they could probably do it in Mascot, Va., just 130 miles from Capital One’s headquarters in McLean, Va.

His Date Was A “Real” Dog! Did you know that III from the University of Georgia became the first college mascot to attend a Heisman Trophy Banquet? He accompanied Herschel Walker during his 1982 Heisman win. Source: http://georgiadogs.ocsn.com/traditions/ugas.shtml

A Work of Fiction In the 1994 film “Pulp Fiction,” John Travolta’s character (Vincent Vega) wore a University of California Santa Cruz T-shirt with the infamous Banana Slug mascot emblazoned on the front. Director Quentin Tarantino frequented the Santa Cruz area some years back when his girlfriend was a student at the campus. He specifically requested the student-designed Slug shirt be used in the film. Source: http://www.slugweb.com

Does That Come With Fries? The Longhorn mascot made his debut at the University of Texas in 1916, but it was a short career for the first steer. Aggies from archrival Texas A&M branded the numbers 13-0 on the steer, signifying the score of the previous year's upset win. The branded steer's next public appearance was in the form of steak served during a Texas-Texas A&M dinner to honor the 1920 Texas team, which upset Texas A&M, 7-3, to win the Southwest Conference championship. The portion that bore the shameful brand was served to the Aggies, and the other half went to Texas. Source: http://www.mackbrown-texasfootball.com

Flap Happy St. Joseph’s University is well known across the country for its unique mascot requirements. The Hawk must flap his “wings” every moment that the mascot head is on. This not only includes sporting events, but other appearances from festivals to wedding receptions. While St. Joe’s doesn’t have a football team, it still has a pretty cool mascot. Source: http://www.sjuhawks.com/basketball/men/bios/hawk.htm

Independent Women Thirty-three colleges and universities have made the distinction between men’s and women’s athletic teams by giving them different mascots, but no school has done so as succinctly as Centenary College, in Shreveport, La. The men’s teams are called the Gentlemen and the women’s teams are referred to as … what else … the Ladies. Source: "Mascots, The History of Senior College and University Mascots/ Nicknames," by Dr. Roy E. Yarbrough. More Fun Facts

Crouching Tiger … Hidden ? There’s been some confusion about what the official mascot is at Auburn University. Over the years, sports writers have referred to Auburn teams as Tigers, War Eagles and Plainsmen. To set the record straight, Auburn has only one nickname – the .

The nickname Tigers comes from a line in Oliver Goldsmith's poem, "The Deserted Village," published in May 1770, "where crouching tigers wait their hapless prey..." "War Eagle" is a battle cry, used by Auburn fans in the same manner Alabama fans yell "Roll Tide!" Since Auburn athletes were – in the early days – men from the plains, it was only natural for newspaper headline writers to shorten that to Plainsmen. To confuse things even more, the school does have an eagle that flies around the football field on game day. His name? Tiger. Source: http://www.auburntigers.com/traditions/

Top Dog While the University of Virginia’s mascot is known as the Cavalier these days, the school’s original mascot was a black-and-white dog called Beta, which roamed the campus during the 1920s and ‘30s. Legend has it that he attended one philosophy class so frequently that his name was called out on the roll. (He’d bark to let the profes- sor know when he was present.) His most famous exploit came after being left behind in Athens, Ga., following a UVA football game with Georgia. It was not until two weeks later that a scratch was heard at the back door of one of the school’s fraternity houses, and a cold, ragged and hungry Beta stood there. It is not known how he found his way home. When he died in 1939, an estimated 1,000 students marched in his funeral procession to the University Cemetery. Source: http://virginiasports.ocsn.com/trads/va-mascot.html

Not Your Average Day at the Races The choice of the elephant as the California State University Fullerton mascot – dubbed Tuffy Titan – dates to the early 1960s when the campus hosted "The First Intercollegiate Elephant Race in Human History." What started as a practical joke turned into an event that attracted 10,000 spectators, 15 pachyderm entrants (including one from Oxford University in England), a telegram from Richard M. Nixon and worldwide media coverage. Tuffy endured the race and soon the elephant mascot was seen at campus athletic events. However, in 1963, one elephant charged the crowd, causing minor injuries, and the sign of a liability insurance crisis quickly halted the live mascot tradition at the school. Sources: http://sports.fullerton.edu/mascot.html and “Mascots, The History of Senior College and University Mascots/Nicknames,” by Dr. Roy E. Yarbrough.

The Original Mighty Duck The University of Oregon athletic teams had no nickname until the 1920s. University of Oregon students referred to themselves as Webfooters. Then, a gentleman’s agreement between Oregon’s Athletic Director Leo Harris and Walt Disney brought Donald Duck to Eugene. Walt Disney productions even provided logo designs that incorporated Donald into the University of Oregon’s “O.”

But not everyone at the school found Donald funny. Jerry Frei, Oregon's football coach for five seasons (1967-71), wanted Donald to sport teeth in his bill to better portray his team's "Fighting Ducks" image. And Dick Harter, the men's basketball coach for seven years (1971-78), disdained the Duck nickname altogether and insisted that any public relations materials refer only to his teams as the "Kamikaze Kids." Donald remained the lone duck mascot in any collegiate or professional capacity until the advent of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks franchise in the National Hockey League in 1993. Source: http://goducks.ocsn.com/genrel/ore-mascot.html About Capital One Capital One Financial Corporation (www.capitalone.com) is a holding company whose principal subsidiaries, Capital One Bank and Capital One FSB, offer consumer lending products. Capital One, a Fortune 500 company headquartered in McLean, Va., is one of the largest providers of MasterCard and Visa credit cards in the world. Capital One trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “COF” and is included in the S&P 500 index. Capital One’s affiliation with college football began with the sponsorship of the 2001 Capital One Florida Citrus Bowl (now the Capital One Bowl) and ESPN’s Bowl Week. In addition, Capital One sponsors the ABC College Football Halftime Report and numerous other college football programs.