Enough of game strategies! As Deion Sanders Colorado Buffaloes is all geared up to wreck Matt Rhule’s Nebraska Cornhuskers, the Buffs’ rage is similar to that of their mascot, Ralphie VI. After all, the mascot has been a part of the CU and college football folklore that dates back to 1970- 54 years ago!

Even though Ralphie VI is now hailed as the Buffs’ favorite mascot, its roots do not belong anywhere in Boulder, which makes the buffalo even more intriguing. Meanwhile, Ralphie is just one of the most popular live animal college mascots that fans go gaga over. 

The unexpected story of Ralphie VI

Besides Deion Sanders’ Buffs creating a rage on the field, it’s their favorite live mascot, Ralphie VI, whose grunts add the quintessential touch of thrill on the ground. She made her debut in the Folsom Field back in September 2021. And like her predecessors, she bears the nickname ‘Ember’. Ever since Ralphie VI stepped into Boulder, she had become an absolute fan favorite who raised a donation of $24,964. But have you ever thought that Deion’s program went for a mascot that does not belong to them? Instead, she has her roots in the rival state. 

Yes, you read that right! Ralphie VI was born on May 27, 2020. Her birthplace was on a ranch in western Nebraska. Right after her birth, she was orphaned as her mother rejected her and was later raised by a beef cow. Meanwhile, the Buffs had no live mascots at that point in time since Ralphie V had retired after serving for 12 seasons at the end of the 2019 season. While Ralphie VI cranks up the hype-o-meter for the Buffs for the big face-off with Nebraska Cornhuskers, here’s a sneak into other popular live mascots.  

Social media craze of live college mascots

Luckily, the Buffs are the only college football program to have a buffalo as their mascot. However, the University of Texas went with a longhorn steer, Bevo as their mascot who has a fan following of 53K on Instagram. While Ralphie and Bevo are quite popular on social media, Yale University was the first institution in America to adopt a live animal mascot. 

Their mascot, a bulldog named Handsome Dan, has an Instagram fan following of 42.6K. Louisiana State University too stirred up the oomph quotient when they decided to bring a real-life tiger as their official mascot. The pure-blooded Bengal cat, named Mike had been a part of LSU’s journey for 20 years. The Texas A&M University adopted a full-blooded rough collie named Reveille, who is the highest-ranking member of the Corps of Cadet.  

However, CFB fans wait with their bated breath as Ralphie VI runs across the field before the kickoff. Deion Sanders’ army has now appointed a group of five members, all varsity athletes, to keep the buffalo in check. While her location has always been kept a secret, fans pour into her Instagram handle, “cubuffsralphie” for her updates!