Meet Pudge the Cat, the NCAA football mascot everyone is losing their minds over
The Bowling Green Falcons have a few famous faces in their football program but none compare to their feline mascot.
College football would be nothing without the personalities, the traditions and the community that sets it aside from the professional game. And at Bowling Green State, there is one figure that personifies those qualities.
The now-legendary Pudge the Cat is a new addition in Bowling Green, Ohio but he has already found a huge following. The feline mascot was first introduced in a TikTok video which showed the big orange cat in the Falcons’ locker room.
Soon after, Pudge was being followed and shared online, finding loyal audiences across different platforms. His fame is so great that he was even shouted out on ‘Good Morning America’ ahead of the new college football season.
The three-year-old exotic shorthair Persian is the pet of photographer George Carlson, who first brought Pudge to the team facility to cheer up players during an off-day.
“I enjoy just making people happy and putting smiles on people’s faces. He’s done that for me for so long, so I wanted to share that joy,” Carlson told AP.
“It’s awesome to see he’s taking off, great for the program and great for George because he’s a great cat,” linebacker Gideon Lampron added.
After building a big online reputation, Pudge appeared on gameday for the first time on Thursday night for the Falcons’ 2025 season opener. The team started well with a 26-7 win over Lafayette, with Pudge making a cameo appearance on the ESPN broadcast.
Now a recognized part of the team, Pudge has his own Falcons jersey to wear on gameday and is a regular presence in the locker room. There’s even Pudge t-shirts and other memorabilia available for fans to buy, secured through the cat’s own Name, Image, Likeness (NIL) deal. If the team keeps winning, Pudge will be here to stay.
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