| Swoop | |
| University: | University of Utah |
| Conference: | Big 12 Conference |
| Conference Short: | Big 12 |
| First Seen: | 1996 |
Swoop is a body-suit mascot for the University of Utah.
Swoop, a red-tailed hawk, is the mascot of the Utah Utes sports teams. The university introduced Swoop with the consent of the tribal council of the Ute tribe in 1996.[1] Originally the school's mascot was an American Indian, but was dropped. Later Hoyo, a cartoon Indian Boy, became an unofficial mascot, but was also dropped.[2] During the 1980s the Crimson Warrior, a Caucasian horseman dressed in Indian costume, would ride onto the field before home football games and plant a lance into a bale of hay. The warrior was considered more a symbol of the school than a mascot.[3]