River Otter Makes a Big Splash as New Mascot

The river otter, beloved for its scrappiness, teamwork, and Pacific Northwest roots, is officially Lewis & Clark’s new mascot. After a robust process of ranked-choice voting, the adorable, semiaquatic mammal emerged as the top choice of eight options among students, alumni, and employees.

“The excitement on campus around voting was amazing to witness,” says Ben Meoz, vice president of student life and dean of students. Students scooped up stickers of mascot finalists, battled through a mascot-themed trivia night, and even staged a spirited mascot debate with members of L&C’s renowned speech and debate team.

“The choice is otterly obvious,” argued student debater Keida Glidden BA ’27. “Otters are kind of local celebrities. They live right here in the Pacific Northwest and play an important role in keeping our ecosystem alive. They have an impact while also being fierce, something that we want to bring into athletic competition.”

To allow student-athletes and coaches to remain focused on competition, teams currently in season will continue to compete under the Pioneers name until the conclusion of their fall schedules. Winter teams will begin their upcoming seasons as the River Otters. Starting next year, every Lewis & Clark varsity program will compete under the River Otters name.

Watch for a visual representation of the new mascot in early 2026!