December 3,2006
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Competition Gets Hairy At Capital One Mascot Playoffs
The fourth annual Capital One All-American Mascot Team has been named, and the competition is heating up in the scuffle to be Mascot of the Year. Such fan favorites as "Buzz" from Georgia Tech and "Big Red" from Western Kentucky U are vying for votes after being hand-selected as finalists based on such criteria as uniqueness and fan interaction. The winner is to be announced January 1, 2007 at the Capital One Bowl.
This is the fourth annual Challenge since the tradition began in 2002, with the intent of celebrating the "unsung heroes" of college ball. Each of the 12 mascot finalists is awarded $5000 towards its school's mascot program, with the winning creature taking home a bonus $5000. This year's competitors will tough it out tooth and claw in "Fur Factor," a made-up succession of athletic challenges.