WATCH: BYU mascot, cheerleaders turn heads at Big 12 Media Days with viral dance moves
As the BYU Cougars usher in a new era in the still-expanding Big 12 during the conference's Media Days held at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, one of the more recognizable parts of the program is its cheerleading team, which includes Cosmo the mascot.
Cosmo has gone viral several times for his attention-grabbing flicks and tricks during the team's games over the years, and he combined with two cheerleaders during the Big 12 Media Days for an eye-catching video.
In the clip posted on the mascot's Instagram page, the trio performs a catchy dance routine. It was captioned:
"y'all ready for some Big 12 media day content?!"
The difficulty of being Cosmo, the BYU Cougars mascot
The legend of Cosmo the Cougar for BYU began in 1953 with a random fan named Danny Gallego who started wearing a suit and doing the tricks the mascot has become so renowned for in the stands during the team's games.
Former NBA mascot David Eberhard now oversees the mascot program, and in an interview with Fox News, he explained how hard it is to be chosen to don the now-famous costume.
"I have two tryouts a year, one in April, one in September," Eberhard said. "It used to just be, 'Hey, you wanna do it? Jump in and we will train you as we go.' Now, most of the people that will finally get into character will have been here for even one year, two years or three years."
During the Cougars' September win over the Cincinnati Bearcats, the mascot went viral for a simply stunning stunt where he made several backflips over two skipping ropes that were on fire.
Ahead of the 2024 March Madness, Sports Illustrated named Cosmo the No. 4 mascot among the 68 competing teams at the tournament.
Eberhard explained the significance of Cosmo the mascot to the Cougars fans and how much the character has done for the reputation of the program.
"That spontaneity and that fun interaction that you can have with people is definitely a great way for people to connect with BYU, connect with the programs, connect with teams," Eberhard said. "So people are recognizing us because of Cosmo and his reach, and that kind of stuff or like, 'Hey, I'm not a BYU fan, but that Cosmo!"
The Big 12 is a much bigger stage for the BYU Cougars, and that will involve more attention on the famous Cosmo the mascot who has put the program on the map with his tricks and flicks.