Swoop (University of Utah)

Swoop is a body-suit mascot for the University of Utah.

Swoop
University	University of Utah
Conference	Big 12
First seen	1996
Website	UtahUtes.com

History

Swoop, a red-tailed hawk, is the mascot of the Utah Utes sports teams. The university introduced Swoop with the consent of the tribal council of the Ute tribe in 1996.^[1] Originally the school's mascot was an American Indian, but was dropped. Later Hoyo, a cartoon Indian Boy, became an unofficial mascot, but was also dropped.^[2] During the 1980s the Crimson Warrior, a Caucasian horseman dressed in Indian costume, would ride onto the field before home football games and plant a lance into a bale of hay. The warrior was considered more a symbol of the school than a mascot.^[3]

See also

• NCAA Native American mascot decision