Cosmo flips his way into this unique hall of fame

SALT LAKE CITY \u2014 Often garnering acclaim for his viral stunts and his dance routines, BYU's Cosmo the Cougar has reached the pinnacle. With votes spanning across 109 countries, Cosmo was selected for the Mascot Hall of Fame along with Cocky (University of South Carolina), Miles (Denver Broncos), Goldy Gopher (University of Minnesota) and Mrs. Met (New York Mets) for the 2026 induction class.The mascots were selected through a mix of public voting and ballots from the Mascot Hall of Fame executive committee. Fans nominated their mascots, then that list was narrowed down by the committee and left to a public vote.For mascots to be eligible, they must have existed for more than 10 years, show a strong presence in the local community and sports scene, and consistently deliver memorable in-game entertainment.With over 21 years of existence, Mrs. Met is the first female mascot inducted, also making the Mets the first of any professional sports organization with two mascots in the hall of fame.What took so long? Cosmo the Cougar flips over fans during a men\u2019s basketball exhibition game between BYU and North Carolina held at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Oct. 24. The beloved mascot will be inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame. (Photo: Isaac Hale, Deseret News) To some, hearing that Cosmo the Cougar was inducted into the hall of fame was surprising, not because he is not good enough, but because many figured he was already included.Jake Hatch of "Locked On Cougars" recently read something a fan sent him on his show."I recently learned that Cosmo is being considered for the induction into the Mascot Hall of Fame," BYU alumni Rex Billings wrote to Hatch, informing him of the upcoming vote. "I thought surely Cosmo would already be in."However, the mascot, who regularly goes viral for stunts so outrageous that many stunt ideas are denied by the university, had not been selected until now. Friday morning, he joined the Utah Jazz Bear, who was inducted in 2006, as the only two mascots from Utah to receive the honor. Cosmo the Cougar hypes up the crowd during Fox\u2019s \u201cBig Noon Kickoff\u201d at Brigham Young University in Provo on Oct. 18. The beloved mascot will be inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame. (Photo: Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News) Hatch went on to add that BYU has some of the most engaging game environments in the nation, often with Cosmo at the forefront. Recanting what a fellow Utah friend of his said, "they keep you engaged