The University of Buffalo and some of its athletic teams pre-date the creation of the NCAA. Buffalo has competed at both the Division I and Division III levels, and throughout its history, its sports teams and organizations have played a massive role for the university.
Like many universities in America, Buffalo underwent a few changes before it finally settled on its modern-day nickname and mascot.
So, how did Buffalo become the Bulls?
Who (or What) is the Buffalo Bulls’ Mascot?
The Buffalo Bulls’ official mascot is Victor E. Bull, but Victor E. was not their first official mascot. Like many universities, Buffalo also had a live mascot for quite some time.
It began with the 1934 introduction of “Boscoe,” a 175-pound bison head given to the students by two alumni during the first Homecoming football game. This marked the university’s first unofficial mascot.
In 1957, the tradition of live mascots began when Hollywood stars Mike Todd and Elizabeth Taylor visited Buffalo to celebrate the city’s 125th anniversary alongside mayor Steven Pankow.
During their visit, they presented UB’s cheerleaders with a young black Angus-Irish Dexter bull named “Buster.” This miniature cattle breed, originating from Ireland, was born on a farm in Western New York.
As Buster grew older, his temperament became more challenging for his handlers, leading to his replacement by a succession of other bulls, all named Buster. Chester Malach, an Elma, New York farmer, raised these replacements. The live mascot tradition at Buffalo continued until 1970.
Before the advent of the current mascot, Buffalo also utilized a brown bull named “Woody Bully.” However, in 1997, as Buffalo was preparing to return to NCAA Division I athletics, the athletics department decided to modernize its mascot.
They held a “Name the Mascot” contest with the university newspaper. Undergraduate student Rustie Hill submitted the winning entry, “Victor E. Bull.” Later that same year, Victor E. Bull was officially adopted as Buffalo’s new mascot, marking a new era for Buffalo’s athletics.
Why is Buffalo The Bulls?
Originally known as the Buffalo Bison, the university’s sports teams changed their name to the Bulls in the 1930s to avoid confusion with several professional teams using the same name.
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However, brand confusion persisted when the Buffalo Bills began playing in the American Football League in 1960, leading to decades of mix-ups between the two teams due to their similar names.
In 1997, Buffalo took another step towards a unified athletic identity by renaming its women’s teams from the Buffalo Royals to the Bulls, aligning all of the university’s sports teams under the same moniker.
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