Get to Know Conference USA Mascots

While the Sun Belt doesn’t have two different Trojans, there are two different flocks of Owls. We already reintroduced ourselves to Owsley, and now it’s time to say hello to Sammy, the Rice owl. Sammy’s first rendition was a canvas depiction, which was stolen by students from Texas A&M in 1917. Once he was recovered, the “Sammy,” name was given. Following his canvas likeness, Sammy took the form of a live owl, whooooooo would fly into the stadium prior to football games (i.e. the Auburn University “war eagle,”). But, Rice decided to discontinue the live Owl, and since three redesigns have happened, with the last happening in 2006. Sammy has had quite the history – he has been tried before Rice’s student judicial court, has been elected homecoming queen, has appeared in Playboy magazine, and has had multiple in-game incidents, including being ejected from a 2009 basketball game vs. Tulane. Here’s to many interesting and fun encounters with Sammy and his school.