Georgia Tech Athletic Mascot The Georgia Tech Athletic Mascot plays a crucial role in representing the university's athletic teams and promoting school spirit. The current mascot, Buzz, is a yellow jacket, reflecting the university's mascot being the Yellow Jackets. Buzz has been the official mascot since 1980 and is widely recognized as a symbol of Georgia Tech's energetic and determined nature. The idea behind choosing a yellow jacket as the mascot stems from the significance of this insect in Georgia. Yellow jackets are known for their resilience, strength, and fierce spirit, qualities that align with the values and ideals of Georgia Tech. The yellow jacket represents the university's commitment to excellence, both in academics and athletics.
Buzz says: “We wanted to increase school spirit; it’s been a tough year for us. We filmed it on two days and put it together. It’s up to over 30,000 views. Especially for Tech being a small school, I heard buzz around campus that it was popular on Facebook.
So the only facts we can reveal about one Buzz we spoke to is that he s a fifth-year biology major, premed, and this is his second year donning the wings and stinger. No one ever showed up at a game out here expecting to see a Georgia Tech game, and no one ever showed up out there looking to go to a Salt Lake Buzz game.
The yellow jacket represents the university's commitment to excellence, both in academics and athletics. Buzz is a larger-than-life character who sports Georgia Tech's official colors, navy blue and gold. He can be seen at various Georgia Tech sporting events, leading the crowd in cheers and rallying support for the teams.
Intimidating yellowjackets and copyright legality: The surprising history of UR’s latest mascot
In 2015, the UR Baja Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) team wanted to make merchandise using an original design they created of Rocky — a design which can only truly be described accurately as “badass”. But once UR found out about “Ricky the Honeybee,” the Baja team was told not to use it at all. Why? Because the orientation of Rocky is actually really important.
In 2008, UR decided to change the school’s mascot from URBee to what we know today as Rocky. At least 3,400 members of the UR community agreed that URBee was too cute for UR Athletics, and the new mascot needed to be “intimidating” and have an edge.
URBee gave the following parting statement : “I didn’t have the name. I didn’t have the looks. I didn’t even have the fingers for downs and quarters. But I had heart, and I wore it on my sleeve each and every day. I like to think that counts for something.”
That same year, our beloved Rocky made their stunning debut during a basketball game.
But Rocky has a doppelganger: Meet Buzz , Georgia Institute of Technology’s mascot, who debuted in 1980. Buzz is also a yellowjacket. Buzz is also a very intimidating yellowjacket. To some, Buzz may look very similar to UR’s own intimidating yellowjacket, Rocky.
Rocky’s design is based heavily on UR’s own history with the insects. The yellowjacket mascot was first introduced in the 1920s and went through several variations until landing at the current iteration.
Georgia Institute of Technology was involved in the 2008 redesign process of Rocky, but the details of UR and Georgia Institute of Technology’s agreement are not publically available. There is an agreement between the schools that allows the bees to coexist.
Comparing the two, there are some clear distinctions. The orientation of Rocky and Buzz is different. Rocky will almost always be forward-facing, and must always have the “R” on its chest. UR’s official guidelines on custom Rocky designs is to treat Rocky like a paper doll according to the UR Identity Guide .
Georgia Tech has been in mascot rumbles in the past. In 2017, the town of Damascus in Maryland wanted to paint their high school mascot, the Swarmin’ Hornets, on their water tower to celebrate the town’s high school football team. The town raised the money to get their own intimidating hornet on the water tower until Georgia Institute of Technology stepped in and shut it down.
In years prior, Georgia Tech had requested that the Damascus High School change their mascot to not be so similar to Buzz, and a licensing agreement was signed. The agreement did not include a painting of the hornet on the water tower, which Georgia Tech was quick to point out.
In 1988, Georgia Tech filed a copyright infringement suit against a minor league baseball team in Salt Lake City called the Buzz, and who also had an intimidating yellowjacket as their mascot. The Salt Lake City baseball team lost the lawsuit, and had to pay Georgia Tech $600,000 dollars .
The team’s lawyer, Gregory D. Phillips, commented on the suit to the Chronicle of Higher Education .
“Georgia Tech might think their mascot is famous, [but] no one here has ever heard of them,” he said. “No one ever showed up at a game out here expecting to see a Georgia Tech game, and no one ever showed up out there looking to go to a Salt Lake Buzz game.”
The non-public agreement between UR and Georgia Institute of Technology seems to have prevented a “bumble” between the two universities.
Rocky and Buzz do have their differences as intimidating yellowjackets, but it can be difficult to differentiate which yellowjackets UR departments, clubs, and organizations can use. The UR Identity guide has been made to help navigate the UR yellowjacket identity and mascot world of intimidating yellowjackets.
The UR Baja SAE team is not the only group to accidentally venture into the confusion of what Rocky imagery can be used. When the Campus Times was creating our newspaper-themed Rocky design, we ran into the cut and paste game of intimidating yellowjackets, too. If you were to go to the bottom floor of Meliora Hall at the moment, you might find this sign:
An image of Buzz found in Meloria Hall. Melanie Earle, Features Editor
Look a little off? That’s actually Buzz. That yellowjacket goes against the UR Identity Guidelines, and is not Rocky.
Rocky’s image has been carefully curated to not bug the other intimidating yellowjackets, which is why UR’s so protective of the way it looks.
What URBee lacked in intimidation in 2008, he at least made up for in heart and copyright legality.
“He’s super-curious, super-hyper and crazy unpredictable,” Buzz says. "You have to do full sprints, jump up walls and run through people. It gets very tiring -- and it’s very, very hot in Atlanta.”
Buzz's outgoing and energetic personality make him a favorite among fans, and his presence adds to the festive atmosphere during games. Apart from his presence at sporting events, Buzz is also involved in various community activities and outreach programs. As a symbol of Georgia Tech, Buzz represents the university's dedication to community engagement and support. Overall, the Georgia Tech Athletic Mascot, Buzz, embodies the spirit and values of the university's athletic teams. With his enthusiastic personality and dedication to promoting school spirit, Buzz plays a vital role in uniting fans and fostering a sense of pride among the Georgia Tech community..
Reviews for "Buzz vs. Opposing Mascots: Georgia Tech's Athletic Mascot in the Spotlight"
1. Emily - 2 stars - I was not a fan of the Georgia Tech athletic mascot. I found it to be quite unappealing and confusing. The mascot's design was lackluster and did not embody the spirited and energetic nature of the university. Additionally, the choice of a yellow jacket as the mascot seemed strange to me as I don't associate that insect with athletics or school spirit. Overall, I was disappointed with the mascot and felt it didn't add any value to the Georgia Tech athletic experience.
2. James - 1 star - The Georgia Tech athletic mascot was a complete letdown. The costume looked cheap and poorly made, almost like a child's Halloween costume. It did not evoke any sense of excitement or school pride. Furthermore, the interaction with the crowd was lackluster, and it seemed like the mascot was just going through the motions rather than genuinely engaging with the fans. Overall, I was unimpressed with the Georgia Tech athletic mascot and felt it did not enhance the overall experience of attending their athletic events.
3. Maria - 2 stars - As a fan attending Georgia Tech games, I was not impressed with the athletic mascot. The costume design was outdated and uninspiring, failing to generate any excitement or enthusiasm among the crowd. The mascot's actions and gestures were repetitive and predictable, lacking the creativity and spontaneity that make mascots engaging. Overall, I believe Georgia Tech needs to revisit their mascot and invest in something more charismatic and visually appealing to boost the energy and school spirit during their athletic events.
4. Michael - 2 stars - The Georgia Tech athletic mascot left me underwhelmed. It felt like a missed opportunity to create a unique and memorable symbol for the university. The costume design was generic and lacked any distinguishing features. The mascot's movements were slow and awkward, and it failed to connect with the audience. Overall, I believe Georgia Tech can do better in terms of their athletic mascot, as it did not leave a lasting impression or contribute to the overall atmosphere of their games.