Bearcats

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The Bearcats refers to the collective name of the University of Cincinnati's athletic program, notably their football and basketball programs. The mascot for the teams is a mix of a bear and a cat, but the name has a different origin. In 1914, the Bearcat was first seen as a combined effort from a student cartoonist and a cheerleader chant. The name is originally a play on words relating to team fullback Teddy Baehr, who was playing against the Kentucky Wildcats. Cheerleader Norman Lyon combined Baehr and Wildcat to create Bearcat. The chant imagery was then created from student cartoonist John Reece. The name would become popular among students, and eventually, the University would name their teams after it and create a mascot.