The game is almost over, and your team is losing. You can feel the crowd’s energy dropping as you look around at sad faces painted with team colors. But just as you’re about to give up hope, someone comes out to pump up the crowd and save the day: the mascot.

For any team, mascots are crucial for boosting morale and keeping fans engaged. They’re famous symbols of team spirit that appear on merchandise, inspire game-day outfits, and become iconic figures with big personalities. It’s easy to see how beloved mascots are while they’re on the field, but many do just as much off the field to keep fans entertained. In this blog, we’ll explore which college mascots are the most popular based on their social media followings. Read on to see if your favorites made the cut!

College Mascots with the Highest Social Media Following

So who takes the cake, Biff, the Michigan Wolverine or Brutus Buckeye? The Duke Blue Devil or Rameses the Tar Heel? We turned to X, Instagram, and TikTok to analyze followers of mascots at over 70 major universities across the U.S. So, lay the debates to rest because we crunched the numbers. 

Fans of Brigham Young University or the University of Oregon are in luck thanks to Cosmo the Cougar and The Oregon Duck. These mascots are leagues ahead of their social media competition, and we can see why. They both keep up with trends and maintain consistent posting schedules—and people love to watch Cosmo dance. 

Although The Ohio State University’s Brutus Buckeye is in third place, the contest isn’t very close. The Duck’s combined follower count is almost double that of Brutus Buckeye’s, while Cosmo’s count is over triple.

The three highest-followed mascots can attribute much of their success to TikTok. Fourth-ranked Mike the Tiger of Louisiana State University, on the other hand, is best known for his purple and gold-themed Instagram page. Mike is joined by other Instagrammers like Aubie (Auburn University), Reveille (Texas A&M University), Jonathan the Husky (University of Connecticut), and Big Al (University of Alabama). These mascots are in the majority, as Instagram is the biggest platform for most of the mascots we researched.

While most mascots tend to do their best on TikTok and Instagram, others thrive on X. That’s where Bucky Badger, Golden Gopher, and Cocky all boast their biggest platforms. Even so, Brutus Buckeye has the most X followers of any college mascot, followed closely by The Oregon Duck.

Conferences with the Highest Social Media Following

Next, we wanted to see how the conferences stack up to each other, all mascots considered. 

The Big 12 Conference might have the highest social media following, but it only has one mascot in the 20 highest-followed list. That just goes to show the sheer social media power of the most popular college mascot overall, Cosmo the Cougar.

The Big Ten Conference and the SEC have the next highest social media followings. As the oldest NCAA Division I conferences today, it’s no surprise that together they contain 16 of the 20 highest-followed mascots.

Following in fourth place is the ACC, with Sebastian the Ibis leading the conference in social media followers. Hailing from the University of Miami, Sebastian holds the ACC’s only spot on the top 20 list. Similarly, UConn’s Jonathan the Husky is the only mascot from an NCAA football-independent school to appear on the list.

Representing Washington State University, Butch T. Cougar has the most followers in the Pac-12 Conference. He may not have enough followers to make it on the top 20 list, but he has enough to beat Oregon State University’s Benny Beaver, the only other mascot in the conference.

Closing Thoughts

So there you have it! Whether your mascot made our list or not, we can all agree that game days wouldn’t be the same without them. 

College mascots are an essential part of any team, bringing fans together both on the field and online. At MRO Electric, we understand the importance of a solid team. Without a collective effort, we wouldn’t be able to deliver our electric supplies on time and intact to keep your operations running smoothly. Contact us today to see how our team can help you find the right industrial automation supplies!

Methodology

Our analysis of the most popular collegiate mascots includes schools in the Power 5 conferences, as well as FBS independent schools. We analyzed each of the primary mascots’ accounts on Instagram, TikTok, and X in July of 2024. Secondary mascots or school spirit accounts that feature the mascot were not included in this analysis.

Updated on December 9, 2024 by Leanna Cota

Whether you’re loyal to the classic, double stuf, or thin OREOs, the addicting cookies always have a place in America’s kitchen cabinet. Even if the timeless original recipe does not jive with your taste buds, the brand has experimented with over 100 versions of OREOs. With so many to choose from, we set out to pull apart the country’s favorites.  

Sometimes, OREO alters the original cookie’s wafer-to-creme ratio. Other times, they release a bold new flavor ranging from red velvet to “space dunk.” Altogether, we analyzed over 100 OREO variations using Google Trends search data from the last year to discover the most-searched style and flavor in each state in the U.S. Read on to find out which OREOs are on your neighbors’ shopping lists! 

The Most Popular OREO Style in Every U.S. State

Beginning by focusing on OREO styles, most of the country is content with the original cookie design. The evenly distributed cookie-to-creme ratio that pairs a satisfying crunch with a soft middle of the Original OREO is the most popular OREO style in 26 states. While the original OREO won a simple majority of the U.S., the rest of the country divided their support into six groups.

Following the original style, Americans love The Most Stuf OREO—you guessed it—the most. This maximalist take on the classic cookie includes about four times more stuf than the original does. Fittingly, this OREO style is the most popular in the Lone Star State, proving that everything truly is bigger and better in Texas. Nine total states prefer this style, officially making it the most favored OREO style variation. 

Golden OREOs round out the top three, solidifying that OREO’s choice to alter their chocolate cookie wafers was a solid idea. As one of the flagship OREO styles, Golden OREOs have a fanbase stronghold in the middle of the country made up of Arkansas, Kansas, and Oklahoma. This style is the most popular in six states in total.

The Most Popular OREO Flavor in Every U.S. State

Shifting from OREO styles to flavors, the dominant Original OREO takes the top spot as the most searched flavor in 12 states. Even as OREO continues to innovate, the classic flavor holds its own, a testament to its endless appeal. But while the Original OREO might be the overall victor, the rest of the country has plenty of adventurous preferences.

Coming in hot and winning seven states, the Tiramisu OREO brings a touch of sophistication to the table. With layers of coffee-flavored creme reminiscent of the beloved Italian dessert, this flavor finds fans in states like Colorado and Florida. Also leading in seven states, the Birthday Cake OREO is all about celebration. From Georgia to Wisconsin, this sprinkle-packed, frosting-flavored cookie is perfect for anyone looking to make snack time feel like a party. Both of these flavors are the second-most popular behind the Original OREO, making them the most popular flavor variations.

To highlight a few more of the top flavors, five states opt for the Space Dunk OREOs, exuberantly described on the packaging as OREOs with “five galactic designs and cosmic creme with popping candy.” On a completely different note, Peanut Butter OREOs find a nutty fanbase in Alabama, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire, proving that chocolate and peanut butter are always a winning duo. The playful Sour Patch Kids OREO stands out in Indiana, Mississippi, and Oregon, embracing snackers who love a little pucker with their sweet. Finally, Seasonal flavors like Christmas OREO and Gingerbread OREO win over states like Kansas and Missouri, delivering holiday cheer in cookie form.

The Most Popular OREOs in the United States of America

Overall, it’s clear that the Original OREO will never be topped, but it is interesting to note which styles and flavor variations Americans favor most. Looking at the styles, the U.S. prefers the OREO styles like The Most Stuf and Mega Stuf OREOs that pack the most creme-filled punch possible. Moving to the flavors, the U.S.’s second most popular flavor is a tie between the Tiramisu and Birthday Cake OREOs. Hilariously, those are both cookies with the flavor of a different dessert. In the U.S., cookie enthusiasts must want to get as much dessert out of one bite as possible! 

Closing Thoughts

Even though the United States is divided about which OREO is the best, it’s clear that OREO is one of the most popular dessert brands in the country. So, no matter what your favorite OREO is—whether the Sour Patch Kids OREO or the Mega Stuf OREO—own it and enjoy it! After all, it takes a lot of hard work for OREOs to reach your pantry. 

With so many unique Oreo flavors to produce, packaging lines and quality control systems need to run flawlessly to keep up with demand. At MRO Electric, our expertise in maintaining and supplying industrial automation components helps support these types of high-volume operations, helping ensure that fan-favorite products make it to store shelves without a hitch. Get in touch with us to learn how we can serve your industrial automation needs. 

Methodology 

To determine the most popular OREO flavor and style in every U.S. state, we compiled a list of 112 search terms* based on OREO’s online cookie collection and various food news publication coverage of limited edition flavors from sources such as Delish and Eat This, Not That! We then analyzed the regional interest of the 112 OREO styles and flavors on our list using Google Trends search data from November 2023 to November 2024. Finally, we compared search interest to find every state’s favorite OREO flavor and style. We used high search interest as an indicator of popularity.

*The list of OREO styles refers to OREO’s original cookie and its various structural formats across its classic products, such as Double Stuf, Thins, and even Golden OREOs. While 21 styles were researched, only eight of them had enough data to include in the study. The list of OREO flavors refers to a list of 93 different OREO flavors or limited edition OREOs including original, specialty, limited edition, and discontinued flavors. While 93 flavors and limited editions were researched, only 24 had enough data to include in the study. Additionally, flavors not sold in the U.S. were excluded from the study.

Updated on December 2, 2024 by Leanna Cota