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30 goofiest mascots in college sports

By Charles Rahrig V

Sep 17, 2016; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal treem mascot performs with marching band during tailgate festivities before a NCAA football game against the USC Trojans at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 17, 2016; Stanford, CA, USA; Stanford Cardinal treem mascot performs with marching band during tailgate festivities before a NCAA football game against the USC Trojans at Stanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /
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March 12 2015: The Middle Tennessee mascot at the C-USA Basketball Tournament quarterfinal between the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders and the Old Dominion Monarchs. Middle Tennessee defeated Old Dominion by the score of 59-52 at the Legacy Arena at the BJCC in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire/Corbis via Getty Images)
March 12 2015: The Middle Tennessee mascot at the C-USA Basketball Tournament quarterfinal between the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders and the Old Dominion Monarchs. Middle Tennessee defeated Old Dominion by the score of 59-52 at the Legacy Arena at the BJCC in Birmingham, Alabama. (Photo by Michael Wade/Icon Sportswire/Corbis via Getty Images) /

30. Lightning

Middle Tennessee State is one of the non-power five conference schools that boasts a great mascot. Lightning is a blue horse and while it has nothing to do with the name Blue Raiders, it is one of the best in Conference USA.

The mascot certainly lives up to its name as well. While plenty of mascots are agile and in incredible shape, some also wear bulky costumes and don’t look like they could make it up the stairs the crowd exits out on.

The origin of Lightning is certainly an interesting one. According to MTSU Sidelines, the inspiration for Lightning came from the agriculture and aerospace programs the university has become famous for.

I mean how is it not possible to love that goofy look on Lightning’s face at each game? As one of the more recent mascots in college athletics, he’s made quick work of standing out from the others in his field.

Perhaps the charm of Lightning is the fact that his story doesn’t derive from that of one that typically follows most. Let’s not forget the elephant in the room is the fact that he’s a horse with wings.

There’s just way too many layers to Lightning to not include him among the top mascots on this list. He’s not just your typical mascot. He’s one of the best and one with a unique story to say the very least.

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