Otto the Orange is the mascot for the Syracuse Orange, the athletic teams of Syracuse University

Syracuse University

Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...

 in Syracuse, New York

Syracuse, New York

Syracuse is a city in and the county seat of Onondaga County, New York, United States, the largest U.S. city with the name "Syracuse", and the fifth most populous city in the state. At the 2010 census, the city population was 145,170, and its metropolitan area had a population of 742,603...

, USA

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. Otto is an anthropomorphic

Anthropomorphism

Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...

 orange

Orange (fruit)

An orange—specifically, the sweet orange—is the citrus Citrus × sinensis and its fruit. It is the most commonly grown tree fruit in the world....

, wearing a large blue hat and blue pants. Traditionally regarded as gender-neutral, though "Otto" is typically a male name. Otto can usually be seen at Syracuse sporting events in the Carrier Dome

Carrier Dome

The Carrier Dome is a 49,250-seat domed sports stadium located on the campus of Syracuse University in the University Hill neighborhood of Syracuse, New York, USA. It is home to the Syracuse Orange football, basketball, and lacrosse teams. High school football championships are also held in "The...

 and other university sporting events. A team of 4-6 students serve as Otto, each one passing tryouts and a training program.

Saltine Warrior

The Syracuse Mascot was originally a Native American

Indigenous peoples of the Americas

The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...

 character named "The Saltine Warrior" (Syracuse's unofficial nickname is the Salt City) and "Big Chief Bill Orange". The character was born out of a hoax in which it was claimed that a 16th century Onondogan

Onondaga (tribe)

The Onondaga are one of the original five constituent nations of the Iroquois Confederacy. Their traditional homeland is in and around Onondaga County, New York...

 Indian chief was unearthed while digging the foundation for the women's gymnasium in 1928.

In the mid-1950's, the father of a Lambda Chi Alpha

Lambda Chi Alpha

Lambda Chi Alpha is one of the largest men's secret general fraternities in North America, having initiated more than 280,000 members and held chapters at more than 300 universities. It is a member of the North-American Interfraternity Conference and was founded by Warren A. Cole, while he was a...

fraternity brother owned a cheerleading camp. He made a Saltine Warrior costume for his son to wear at SU football games. Thus began a nearly forty-year tradition of Lambda Chi brothers serving as SU's mascot. In 1990 however the University opened up the mascot traditions to the entire student body (Daily Orange, February 22, 1990).

In 1978, Native American students successfully petitioned the University to discontinue the Saltine Warrior, citing the mascot's supposed stereotypical portrayal of Native Americans. During the 1978 season, the University introduced a Roman Gladiator dressed in orange armor, but the idea proved largely unpopular among fans, who regularly booed the mascot.

Otto becomes the official mascot

For 17 years the university was unable to settle on a mascot until the chancellor appointed a group of students and faculty to create a mascot and logo. The cheerleaders and mascots were at a UCA Cheerleading Camp in Tennessee that summer, and narrowed the field down to two potential names - "Opie" and "Otto". It was concluded that the name "Opie" would lead to the inevitable rhyme with 'dopey', and settled on "Otto". Later that fall, word got out that the cheerleaders were calling the latest mascot costume Otto, and the name stuck.

University administration considered introducing a new mascot (a wolf or lion were likely candidates), but the student body supported Otto. He was recognized as the official mascot of Syracuse University by 1995.