03/19/2024
It’s been a banner year for Cortland’s Red Dragons, with conference titles in eight different sports and the university’s first-ever national championship in football.
And last week we had another impressive upset: Blaze, SUNY Cortland’s official red dragon mascot, made it through the first round of SUNY’s annual Mascot Madness tournament, beating the University of Albany’s Great Dane Damien with 51% of the vote.
That’s a notable accomplishment given that voting opened and closed during SUNY Cortland’s spring break and Albany has a student body more than twice the size of Cortland’s.
Now, Blaze needs your help to get through the second round to ultimately win a coveted prize: bragging rights as the most popular symbol of school spirit in New York’s 64-campus public university system.
Cortland’s red dragon is combatting Ram-bo, the horned sheep mascot of Farmingdale State College. All students, faculty, staff, alumni, friends and friends of friends are encouraged to vote for Blaze once each day through Friday, March 21, at 3 p.m., along with potential future rounds. The competition follows a March Madness-style bracket.
A full voting schedule is included below, along with a Q&A from SUNY’s Meet the Mascots page. All are encouraged to share their support for Blaze on social media with Cortland friends near and far.
Voting Schedule
- Round 2: March 19 (noon) – March 21 (3 p.m.)
- Round 3: March 22 (noon) – March 26 (3 p.m.)
- Final Four: March 27 (noon) – March 29 (3 p.m.)
- Finals: April 2 (noon) – April 4 (3 p.m.)
Meet the Mascot: Q&A with Blaze
Who are you, where are you originally from, and where do you do your mascot thing?
I am Blaze, the mighty Red Dragon promoter of SUNY Cortland spirit, defender of Cortland pride and symbol of university greatness. I was born on the barren plain of Mordor and ruled in the Great Hall of Thrain in the dark bowels of the Lonely Mountain . Kidding. I’m from Staten Island.
What’s a unique new thing (building, club, activity, employee, etc) on your campus that you treasure?
It’s gotta be the Student Life Center: 150,000-square-feet of athletics courts, workout areas, swimming pools, combat rooms, climbing walls and active, happy students. No other campus has anything quite like it.
If you could start your own new club or major on campus, what would it be?
Among Cortland’s many specialties are kinesiology, biological sciences, physical education and exercise science, so I think a minor in dragon anatomy would be a great addition.
What’s your hidden talent that you haven't told anyone about yet?
Crocheting. I find it keeps my talons nimble. Plus, it is the most recent of the nearly 100 official student clubs on campus.
What campus cheer gets you pumped up and why?
C-State! Most powerful two syllables in Division III athletics.
What sport would you play if you were a student-athlete? Feel free to share details of how the uniform would work for you.
I’d love to be on our national champion football team, but I’d end up melting the face guard of my helmet whenever I breathed hard. Plus, shoulder pads are murder to fit over wings.
Read any good books lately?
Lately I’ve been getting into the Game of Thrones novels. Did you know the red dragon in the books is based on me? True story.
Favorite pizza topping?
Screaming villager. Joking! But I am 100% paleo, so it would be a meat-lover’s pizza on a bone meal crust. With anchovies.
If you were SUNY Chancellor for a day, what would you do?
I would create the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Fire Breathing and then show that reptile from SUNY Oneonta how it’s done!
How would you celebrate being named SUNY Mascot Madness Champion in 2024?
I can fly and exhale smoke, so skywriting a congratulations message over Grady Field would be a no brainer.