In 1949, when Grand Canyon College opened in Prescott, Ariz., students chose the Antelope as the official mascot in a schoolwide vote before the first basketball season.
Thunder throwback
Some students wanted an animal mascot that represented the namesake of the university while others wanted it to symbolize Prescott. The finalists were Antelopes and the offbeat “Beasts of Burden,” venerating the donkeys that transported visitors on the steep, rocky trails of the Grand Canyon.

Thunder’s arrival as a mascot was more recent. An antelope has been GCU’s mascot since 1981, replacing the first mascot — a furry, purple blob known as the “Purple People Eater.” But the antelope is believed to have been officially named Thunder in 2008. He previously went by “Andy the Antelope” and “Johnny Lope” for short periods of time.

Today’s Thunder boasts a muscular build, wears a No. 49 jersey (for Grand Canyon’s founding year), and is known for his fan-friendly ways, wild antics, and dunking off trampolines at basketball games. He nearly has attained rock-star status, being introduced at games as “America’s Favorite Mascot” with adoration among all ages who seek to get photos with him.