Meet the Mascots: Omaha's Durango the Maverick
The Summit League features the NCAA's most unique collection of one-of-a-kind nicknames among its member institutions. Within U.S. college athletics, four names are exclusively held by Summit League schools: Mastodons (IPFW), Golden Grizzlies (Oakland), Jackrabbits (South Dakota State) and Leathernecks (Western Illinois). In addition, the names Coyotes (South Dakota) and Kangaroos (UMKC) are unique to NCAA Division I athletics.
Each Tuesday this summer, The Summit League will highlight the story behind the origin of each member institution's name and its mascot.
This week we will take a closer look into the Omaha mascot, Durango the Maverick.
Omaha
Nickname: Mavericks
Mascot: Durango
Durango the Maverick has ruled as the Omaha mascot since 1971.
An estimated 2,000 voters turned out for the 1971 Student Senate elections on campus. Among the items on the ballot-the selection of a new university mascot. The final tally as reported by The Gateway (the student newspaper) – Maverick, 566; Unicorn, 515; Roadrunner, 397; Demon, 346.
Durango even has a deli named after him – Durango's Deli, located in the Milo Bail Student Center Food Court.
