Bruiser and Marigold


Bruiser and Marigold are the costumed bear mascots of the Baylor University Baylor Bears and Lady Bears in Waco, Texas.

History

Even though Baylor began its intercollegiate athletics in the 1890s, they did not have an official mascot until 1914. President Samuel Palmer Brooks held a vote to choose a mascot from dozens of options including the buffalo, bookworm, antelope, and ferret. It was then when the student body decided to pick an American black bear as their new mascot. In 1917, troops of the 107th Engineers donated a live bear named Ted to the university. Ted made his debut at the 1917 Baylor - Texas A&M football game. Many years later, a costumed bear first made its appearance at the start of Baylor's 1981-1982 basketball season. This version of the bear did not last too long as a different version of the bear appeared in mid- to late- 1980s.

Present

Bruiser was modified two more times until the current version of Bruiser was introduced in late 2000s. In 2017, Baylor Spirit introduced Marigold as Bruiser’s partner. Marigold is usually seen wearing a yellow Baylor Line jersey.