ASU and UofA mascots date back to 1950s - Axios PhoenixLog InLog InAxios Phoenix is an Axios company.

Sparky vs Wilbur

Sparky Sun Devil and Wilbur Wildcat. Photos: Timothy J. Gonzalez/AP Photos and David Zalubowski/AP Photos Rivalry aside, we agree that both of our mascots are pretty awesome. Sparky the Sun Devil has been around since 1951. Wilbur Wildcat became UofA's mascot in 1959, and he was joined by Wilma in 1986. Before Sparky: As noted above, ASU has had many names. It also has had . As Tempe Normal School, the mascot was an owl.As Arizona State Teachers College, the mascot was a bulldog. As Arizona State College, the mascot became a . That one stuck. What they're saying: "I personally think it's an advantage because a sun devil is something that's very unique and tied to Arizona's climate and culture, whereas the school down south is a wildcat. I could probably tell you at least five to 10 schools that are also wildcats," ASU mascot manager Tony Grandlienard told last year. One funny thing: When Pope John Paul II held mass at Sun Devil Stadium during a visit to the Valley in 1987, the Vatican required ASU to cover all images of Sparky and his pitchfork. Before Wilbur: UofA got its team name from a Los Angeles Times columnist in 1914 who wrote that the football team in a game against the Occidental College Tigers.The school adopted the name and introduced its first mascot, a live bobcat named Tom Easter, in 1915, renaming it Rufus Arizona after university president Rufus Bernard Von KleinSmid. Wilbur and Wilma are happily married, shortly after Wilma was introduced, and the school even had them renew their vows in 2006. For a time, Wilbur's Wild West ensemble included pistols, but the university got rid of them in logos of the mascot in 2002 amid the ongoing debate over gun violence. One sad thing: The original Rufus Arizona was during a game in 1916, so it's probably for the best that they phased out live animals in favor of costumed mascots. Get more local stories in your inbox with .Subscribe Support local journalism by becoming a member.

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