William and Mary Picks Its Mascot, and It's Got Wings

Finally! A mascot William and Mary students can believe in.

The College of William and Mary unveiled its official mascot on Tuesday, the Flat Hat reports. It's a griffin, a mythical creature with a lion's body and an eagle's head. The William and Mary griffin has a white-feathered head with a yellow beak, a white belly, green wings, some yellow on a green tail, and orange lion legs. The toenails are green. Don't worry, William and Mary sports teams are still called the Tribe.

"[The mascot] says a lot about how we feel about our athletic teams," William and Mary Athletics Director Terry Driscoll tells the Flat Hat. "Our athletes go to school in a tough academic environment and still perform on the field."

The William and Mary community showed up in droves to see the new mascot at the school's Kaplan Arena on Tuesday. It was a happy finale to a 16-month process that saw some 800 ideas pitched by students, athletes, and others. The other four finalists were a pug, a wren, a king and queen and a phoenix, the Flat Hat says. We're glad they picked the griffin.

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