Which US state university’s mascot is the same as its state’s animal?

Wisconsin and its state university have both embraced the badger as their official mascot. The state gets its name from the Wisconsin River, which was called Meskousing by the region’s native Algonquian-speaking tribes.

Wisconsin's nickname as the Badger State came about in the 1820s. In the early 19th century, lead was discovered in the tiny town of Mineral Point, Wisconsin. Immigrants from Cornwall, England, settled in the region and dug mines. Some miners without homes would live in the tunnels during the winter months to keep warm, and their dwellings reminded people of badger holes. The nickname ‘Badger’ was not initially a reference to the animals, but rather to the mine workers, since they lived underground in winter, much like badgers do. Thanks to the nickname, the badger became the official state animal in 1957 and appears on the state flag, state seal, and in the state song.

Bucky the Badger has been the official mascot of the University of Wisconsin since 1940, and his nickname derives from the fact that Wisconsin is known as the Badger state.

The University of Minnesota’s team mascot is Goldy Gopher, and Minnesota has been nicknamed the Gopher State, but its official state animals are the eastern timber wolf and the white-tailed deer.