COLUMBIA, MO (KCTV) -
University of Missouri mascot, Truman the Tiger, has made the big time, and Mizzou fans worldwide can help him win a national championship.
Truman has been chosen as one of 16 members of the 2012 Capital One All-America Mascot Team and he will compete head-to-head with 15 other sideline warriors throughout the upcoming football season in hopes of being named the Capital One National Mascot of the Year.
The 16 mascots will go head-to-head for 12 weeks during the college football regular season in a voting contest to determine the winner. Fans will be able to vote beginning at 11 a.m. (central time) on Sept. 3, at www.CapitalOneBowl.com, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/MascotChallenge and via text voting as the mascots go against each other in head-to-head popularity vote each week. The polls will close on Nov. 26, with the eight mascots with best head-to-head records advancing to a single-elimination bracket tournament to determine the overall champion.
"Truman twirled his tail furiously when he was informed by Cheer Coach Suzy Thompson that he was up for Mascot of the Year," the University of Missouri said in a release.
"He was really excited when we found out," said Thompson. "He was in the middle of dining on his favorite meal of a silly blue bird with Tiger Stripe Ice Cream, and he was speechless," Thompson said.
The Capital One National Mascot of the Year will be announced at the Capital One Bowl on Jan. 1, 2013 and will be awarded a $20,000 scholarship to help fund its school's mascot program. Each of the 2012 All-America team members receives $5,000 for their mascot program.
For more information about Truman's candidacy, please visit www.mutigers.com/votefortruman.
Copyright 2012 KCTV (Meredith Corp.) All rights reserved.
Courtesy: www.mutigers.com/sports
