The Western Kentucky Hilltoppers have experienced great success since head coach Tyson Helton took the head coaching job before the 2019 season.
Helton is 43-28 in his five-plus seasons at the school and has taken the program to a bowl game every year he’s been the head coach.
WKU is off to a 3-2 start this season, and another bowl game looks well within range. The Hilltoppers host the UTEP Miners in their next game on Thursday, October 10. According to the school’s announcement Thursday, the school’s iconic mascot, Big Red, will adorn the Hilltoppers’ helmets.
Big Red 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘴 all 👀 pic.twitter.com/jsztJjJTzQ
— WKU Football (@WKUFootball) October 3, 2024
The helmets look great on their own, as the red color shines through and pops out, but adding Big Red’s eyes on the side takes them to a whole other level.
For those unfamiliar with Big Red, he has been WKU’s mascot since 1979 and is a big red blob. The name comes from a nickname for the Hilltoppers’ athletic teams and, per the school, represents the university’s fighting spirit.
The mascot suit is also designed so the character can emote instead of having a fixed look on its face like most mascots.
The helmets will debut on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. ET on October 10, when the Hilltoppers battle the UTEP Miners to open Conference USA play.
