Wolfie Axed From SUNY Mascots Contest After Apparent Ballot-Stuffing

NEW YORK — Stony Brook University's mascot Wolfie Seawolf might have become a three-time SUNY's Mascot Madness champion this year — but his chances were squashed due to an alleged ballot-stuffing.

The annual competition, which allows fans to vote for their favorite mascot in all of New York, aims to drum up community and school spirit. But perhaps some students took their zest for Stony Brook a bit too far, with the school admitting that at least one person cast a few too many votes for Wolfie.

"We brought these concerns to SUNY's attention and offered to withdraw Wolfie from the competition," the school said in an announcement on its Instagram story. "We wish the remaining mascots good luck!"

The finals of this year's competition is set to take place April 2 at 12 p.m.—April 4 at 3 p.m.

Wolfie was the reigning mascot in the 2023 competition as well as 2o22. The first-ever winner —named in 2013 — was Hugo Hawk of SUNY New Paltz, followed by Baxter Bearcat of Binghamton University in 2014 and 2015, Victor E. Knight of SUNY Geneseo in 2016, Oakie the Acorn of SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in 2017, Victor E. Knight again in 2018, Rip Van Winkle of Columbia-Greene Community College in 2019, and Red of SUNY Oneonta in 2021.

Wolfie won each of the last two Mascot Madness titles by defeating Oakie in the finals. Last year, Wolfie won by just 33 votes, with 50.04 percent of the vote to Oakie’s 49.96 percent — a margin of just four-hundredths of a point, according to SUNY.

Fans can go to the SUNY Mascot Madness website to vote for this year's winner.