Why is it Bisons with an "s"

[Bisonfan from FLA]

In case you were wondering about use of Bisons, it is not due to a grammatical deficiency on the part of Harding. Copy and paste the link below.

https://hardingsports.com/sports/2015/6/25/GEN_0625155133

[BisonBones]

Thanks! Great link. Haven't seen this before.

The old AIC has some of the best names for college football mascots. It had a couple of boring ones like the Bears and Tigers, but Boll Weevils, Muleriders, Wonder Boys, Reddies are all unique in college sports as far as I know. Bisons keeps Harding's mascot a bit different, too.

If the GSC starts going south in the next few years because everyone starts bailing for D1, I'm open to the GAC accepting Delta State on the condition they officially change their mascot to the Fighting Okra.

[laker]

I graduated from Buffalo Lake HS. When I was in school, we had "Lakers" on the back of our letter jackets (hence my name) with a Buffalo head. But our wrestlers were known as the Bison. I found out later that the football team was also called the Bison back in the 50s. I never found the reason for a change.

[Bisonfan from FLA]

Thank you for the good comments and interest in knowing our use of the "s" on Bison. The GAC does have the unique mascot names, as was listed by BisonBones. Laker; it might be interesting in find out why did the school move from using Bison to Laker.

[LRBearsfan]

I think Bisons is a cool mascot name. I watched you guys play the "Reddies" on Youtube last night. Awesome the playoffs are letting all of us watch and learn some more about other really good football programs across the country.

[laker]

Thank you for the good comments and interest in knowing our use of the "s" on Bison. The GAC does have the unique mascot names, as was listed by BisonBones. Laker; it might be interesting in find out why did the school move from using Bison to Laker.

BL was one of the first small schools to start wrestling in our rural area. They would practice during noon hour since some of the wrestlers also played basketball! I think it was to differ themselves from the basketball playing Lakers. Although why they didn't keep the designation for the football team. Ten years after I graduated I came back and was the head football coach for three years. I also found that use of colors- primary and accent- depended not just on coaches but also on the athletic directors who ordered the uniforms. I noticed in the tournament basketball books which listed all the teams, players, coaches and cheerleaders in the district that Danube, another team in our conference, was listed as purple and white. I knew that was a misprint, since they always wore maroon and gold. Turns out that around 1970 the students voted to change the colors. Rod Black, a Hall of Fame coach, grew up in Danube. He said that they can vote all they want, but he was the one to order the uniforms. Their wrestling cheerleaders, who had to make their own outfits, did wear purple and white.

I love learning about the traditions, nicknames and colors of schools- and the reason why they changed. A few years ago I visited the Sacred Heart museum. a town that was in our conference. They had an orange and black letter jacket. Now that was Buffalo Lake colors and Sacred Heart was blue and white. I asked the director when the change came. She went to get an elderly lady who was working on research there. She came over and told me it changed in 1941 when she was in school. Unfortunately, the reasons weren't written down. Around that same time Stewart, who had been navy and silver, had a player on the great Minnesota national championship teams. Because of him, they changed the colors to maroon and gold and became the Gophers, also using the same school song.

The GAC has the most unique nicknames of any D2 conference. I'd love to read the origins of those names, and also why they use their colors.

[Bisonfan from FLA]

The GAC has the most unique nicknames of any D2 conference. I'd love to read the origins of those names, and also why they use their colors.

Here is the listing of schools and the nickname/mascot of the school. Yes, we do have some unique nicknames.

Arkansas Schools
Arkansas Tech Wonderboys (Women - Golden Suns)
Harding Bisons
Henderson State Reddies
Ouachita Baptist Tigers (purple)
Southern Arkansas Muleriders
Univ. of Arkansas Monticello Boll Weevils (Women- Cotton Blossoms)

Oklahoma Schools
East Central Okla Tigers (orange)
Oklahoma Baptist Bison
Northwest Oklahoma Rangers
Southeast Oklahoma Savage Storm [mascot is a yellow and blue looking Bison type of animal]
Southern Nazarene Crimson Storm (mascot is a Thundercat)
Southwest Oklahoma Bulldogs

[Bisonfan1]

I think Bisons is a cool mascot name. I watched you guys play the "Reddies" on Youtube last night. Awesome the playoffs are letting all of us watch and learn some more about other really good football programs across the country.

Firstly let me say HSU has a good Fb team and had a great year so in no way are my comments meant to be disparaging. However, we came out more flat offensively in that game than any game we played this year. It seemed to take us nearly 2 quarters to wake up and start playing ball. Having said that though, when you aren’t playing your best ball you always have to give some of the credit for that to the other team.

[LRBearsfan]

Bisonfan1 I enjoyed wathcing them play, very reminiscent of the LR team that went to the championship. We had Mike Houston coaching who went to JMU and now at ECU, he was a really good coach and the option was really fun to watch and equally hard for teams to defend. Should be an interesting matchup between 2 talented squads.