Otto (Syracuse)

From Hoopedia

Otto mascot for Syracuse University. Up until 1990, the mascot was officially known on and off campus as "The Orange." But the secret tradition by the Lambda Chi Alpha brothers was to name each costume. Hence, the first Orange was dubbed "Clyde" (1982-1988) and the second called "Woody" (1988-1990) and was known only to the fraternity and cheerleading squad. However, when the University opened up the mascot traditions to the entire student body in 1990, a third costume was produced and a new name was needed. The cheerleaders and mascots were at an UCA Cheerleading Camp in Tennessee that summer and narrowed the field down to two potential names - Opie or Otto. Figuring the name Opie would lead to the inevitable rhyme with 'dopey', they settled on Otto. Later that fall, word got out that the cheerleaders were calling the latest mascot costume Otto and the name stuck.

Otto the Orange was finally adopted by the University in 1995 as the University's official mascot, selected over a wolf and a lion also under consideration.