<p>Skits, dancing and a whole lot of pushups -- that’s only <em>some </em>of what it takes to be the beloved Buck Badger.</p> <p>Buckingham U. Badger is a staple for the UW-Madison campus and Wisconsin as a state. But how did Bucky become the icon he is today?</p> <p>Nameless before the 1940s, the mascot used to be a real, living badger kept in a cage at football games. Due to a rather ferocious personality, that Bucky was benched.</p> <p>The mascot came to life in 1949, when Bill Sagal, a UW cheerleader, sported on a paper mache rendition of the mascot’s head for the Homecoming game.</p> <p>Today, what does it take to become the mighty mustelid? Contenders for the mascot spot go through a rigorous three-day tryout, ensuring Bucky is up to the highest standards. Bucky’s everywhere, after all.</p> <p>“Every second, someone’s eyes are on you. Whether you’re at a parade or if you’re at a basketball game, you’re always on,” former Bucky Badger Devin Deegan said.</p> <p>Discover more Bucky trivia -- like what his middle initial “U” stands for -- in Making Wisconsin: A History of the Badger State.</p> <p><strong>Additional Resources:</strong></p> <p><a href="https://news.wisc.edu/becoming-bucky/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="https://news.wisc.edu/becoming-bucky/">Becoming Bucky</a></p> <p><a href="https://uwbadgers.com/sports/2019/2/14/bucky-badger-a-historical-look-back.aspx?id=1581" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="https://uwbadgers.com/sports/2019/2/14/bucky-badger-a-historical-look-back.aspx?id=1581">Bucky Badger - A Historical Look Back</a></p>