The Pittsburg State Gorillas mascot, Gus Gorilla, is NCAA Division II pixel art mascot #2 of 320. Pittsburg State University is located in Kansas, not Pennsylvania. (View reference images.)
West Liberty Hilltopper – No. 742
The West Liberty Hilltoppers mascot, Topper the Bear, is NCAA Division II pixel art mascot #1 of 320. (View reference images.)
West Liberty University, in Wheeling, West Virginia, is where my parents met in the late 1970s. Wheeling is on the West Virginia-Ohio border in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. The Wheeling Suspension Bridge spans the main channel of the Ohio River and was once the largest suspension bridge in the world. The road and sidewalk are constructed from open steel grating, which makes it an interesting bridge to cross, especially for those with a fear of heights. As for Topper the Bear, all I can think about is Topper from Dilbert, and I imagine this black bear has the same social deficiency of obsessive one-upmanship.
Carson-Newman Eagle – No. 744
The Carson-Newman Eagles mascot, Talon, is NCAA Division II pixel art mascot #3 of 320. This is also college mascot pixel art #100. (View reference images.)
Carson-Newman University, in Jefferson City, Tennessee, is where my cousin Adam Cavalier works as Director of Athletic Communications/Voice of the Eagles. He is getting married today in West Virginia. I will be attending Adam’s wedding with my wife Heidi and daughter, my dad and stepmom, my sister and her family, and almost all of my dad’s side of the family. I’ve been looking forward to this reunion for months. The following mascot matchup is for Adam, who is a Marshall alum: Marshall Thundering Herd vs. Carson-Newman Eagle.