Saint Joseph's University

One of the most famous mascots in college sports, the Saint Joseph's Hawk has flapped its wings for 68 seasons.

The Hawk is best known for staying in constant motion by flapping its wings throughout every basketball game and representing the Saint Joseph's motto, "The Hawk Will Never Die."

Jim Brennan originated the idea for a hawk as mascot during the 1954-55 season. Brennan, an ex-Marine and SJU cheerleader, at first wanted to secure an actual hawk, but later switched to the costume idea. The student government raised the 120 dollars needed to buy the initial costume, which Brennan donned for three years. He made his debut as the Hawk on December 3, 1955, a 84-72 win over Rhode Island at the Palestra. Since then, and including this season, a total of 61 SJU students, have donned the costume for both the men's and women's basketball programs. 

In addition to the constant flapping, the Hawk is also recognized by its "flying" in figure eights around the court during timeouts. The constant motion, coupled with the scrappy play of the University's athletic teams, helped to spawn the school's familiar slogan "The Hawk Will Never Die!" A few years ago, ESPN used a "flap-o-meter" on the national telecast of a Saint Joseph's game to estimate that the Hawk flaps its wings 3,500 times during a regulation game.

The Hawk is unique because it is one of the few mascots in the nation that travels to every game, and the student who holds the position gains a full scholarship. The student, who is selected through an interview process during the previous spring semester and travels with the squads.

It has been the connection with the storied tradition of the Saint Joseph's men's and women's basketball programs that has given The Hawk mascot its prominence on the national level, making it one of the most recognized mascots in college athletics. After more than two decades of extensive use; hundreds of thousands of flaps; and countless appearances at University activities, community events and alumni weddings Saint Joseph's revealed an updated version of The Hawk in August of 2023.

All-Time Hawks

Accolades

To request The Hawk's appearance at a wedding or charity event