College mascots look like they are having a lot of fun, but having that much school spirit also takes a lot of work. So who are the people under the costumes?
Many schools, including Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, ask their mascots to remain anonymous until they hang up their costumes.
Fortunately, co-host Jeff Tiberii got the chance to talk to two recent graduates – Duke’s Cate Schick and UNC’s Daniel Wood – who were both mascots for several years, including in 2022, the year of the Final Four matchup between Duke and UNC.
The former Blue Devil and former Rameses meet for the first time with their masks off in our studio. Some good-natured ribbing ensued and so did a great conversation about what life is like in those costumes and what it meant to each of them to represent their schools.
Editor's note: this conversation originally aired in November 2023.
Guests
Cate Schick, former Duke University Blue Devil
Daniel Wood, former University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Rameses