03/11/2025
Red Dragon nation, Blaze needs your vote. And he needs it now.
Mascot Madness is back. Once again, the 64-campus SUNY system is hosting a competition to determine its most popular college mascot.
And online voting began at noon TODAY.
In the first round of the tournament-style mascot battle, set up in brackets like those used in the NCAA basketball championships, Blaze is trying to rein in SUNY Morrisville’s Mo the Mustang. If more people vote for him than the green horsey by 2 p.m. Friday, March 14, Blaze wins and moves on to the second round.
Students, faculty, staff, family, friends and strangers on the street can vote for Blaze on the official website.
SUNY Cortland voters are encouraged to cast ballots early and often, although they are limited to one vote per day.
Assuming everyone’s favorite Red Dragon is victorious in the first round — and keeps winning — he will advance through the schedule below.
- Round 2: Tuesday, March 18 to Thursday, March 20
- Round 3: Friday, March 21 to Monday, March 24
- Semifinals: Wednesday, March 26 to Friday, March 28
- Finals: Tuesday, April 1 to Thursday, April 3
All voting rounds begin at noon and end at 2 p.m.
To help people get to know the mascots, SUNY asked each a series of questions. The responses of Cortland’s Red Dragon are below:
Q. Who are you, where are you originally from, and where do you do your mascot thing?
A. I am Blaze, the mighty Red Dragon; promoter of SUNY Cortland spirit, defender of Cortland pride and symbol of overall university greatness. I was born on the barren plain of Mordor and ruled in the Great Hall of Thrain in the dark bowels of the Lonely Mountain. Kidding. I’m from Staten Island.
Q. What’s the most unique thing about your campus?
A. The Student Life Center: 156,000-square-feet of athletics courts, workout areas, swimming pools, combat rooms, climbing walls and active, happy students. No other campus has anything quite like it.
Q. Why will you win the Mascot Madness Championship?
A. Because I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me.
Q. Best class you’ve taken lately?
A. Ecotourism in Hawaii was definitely worth the 4,700-mile commute. Of course, Ecotourism in Nepal was pretty awesome too, as was Nicaragua, Thailand and Zanzibar. The hands-on classroom changes every year. It’s part of our exciting new major in tourism and recreation.
Q. If you could swap places with any mascot for a day, who would it be and why?
A. I would pass. No university mascot has it better than me. I’m on a beautiful, modern campus with amazing athletic facilities and faculty and staff who genuinely care about me and my success. Plus, the Hilltop chicken tender wraps are amazing!