Delta State's Fighting Okra mascot found its way to the Georgia-TCU title game. See how it happened

Ross Reily, Mississippi Clarion Ledger
·2 min read
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While Delta State’s football team might not have been playing in the national championship game on Monday night, the school got plenty of attention from ESPN.

As part of the network’s ongoing series of commercials with school mascots, DSU alternative mascot “The Fighting Okra” was featured in a 30-second spot that aired during the Georgia-TCU game.

The Fighting Okra is not the official mascot of Delta State, but it has surpassed The Statesmen in popularity since it was generated on a lark by students in the late 1980s and early 1990s, saying it was perfect for DSU, "because Okra is tough, green and prickly."

The school eventually adopted The Fighting Okra as an alternative mascot and even produced a marketing campaign around it in the 2000s.

In early December, ESPN reached out to DSU and ask if it would be interested in the network using the mascot in one of its commercials.

The cheerleader sponsor and mascot flew to Bristol, Connecticut and spent two days on the network campus shooting the commercial with anchors Kevin Neghandi and Elle Duncan.

“We were thrilled for ESPN to use The Fighting Okra for one of their commercials,” DSU athletics director Mike Kinnison said. “They usually use the big Division I mascots like “Sparty” from Michigan State or something like that. So, it was a no-brainer for us to say yes to their request.”

Kinnison said the reaction to the commercial, which was first unveiled online Monday morning and then live during the Georgia-TCU game.

“The reaction has been nothing but positive on social media and elsewhere,” Kinnison said. “I know a lot of people like the Okra because is portrays maybe a tougher image than the Statesmen. It has be a fun process for everyone.”

ESPN filmed other mascot commercials at the same time the DSU mascot was there, but there were no reports of incidents or scuffles created by The Fighting Okra.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: The Delta State Fighting Okra found its way to the Georgia-TCU game.