50@50: Roary makes his first appearance


To celebrate the university’s 50th anniversary, FIU News is sharing 50 moments in FIU’s history as part of our “50@50″ series.

By Joel Delgado ’12 MS ’17 

Even though FIU had changed its nickname from the Sunblazers to the Golden Panthers in 1986, the new mascot that came with the change was without a clear identity for 16 years.

Some people referred to the new Panthers mascot as “Pete the Panther” or by a number of other names.

That all finally changed in 2002 with the arrival of FIU football.

story rp_primary_RoaryLeading up to FIU football’s first season, a new costume was designed and a contest was held to officially name the mascot. A number of different names were floated around and suggested, including “Oro” (Spanish for “gold”).

But in the end, there was a clear consensus on the mascot’s new name: Roary.

Roary made his debut in front of a sold-out crowd on hand for FIU football’s first ever game on Aug. 29, 2002 at FIU Stadium. He’s been a fan favorite at sports events, university functions and community outings ever since.

When FIU unveiled a new look with a redesigned logo and athletic mark in 2008, Roary himself received a makeover with a new costume design (see photo on the right), which is still being used today.