GCU TODAY • 17
The antelope has athletic appeal — the
pronghorn is the second fastest land mammal
in the world.
And the antelope is unusual among
mascots: GCU is the only university with
the “Lopes” nickname and one of only three
with an antelope mascot. The University of
Nebraska at Kearny calls its teams the Lopers,
and the University of Lethbridge (Alberta,
Canada) goes by Pronghorns or just “Horns.”
The backstory on all things Lopes
In 1949, the year Grand Canyon College
opened in Prescott. Ariz., students chose the
Antelope as the official mascot in a school-
wide vote before the first basketball season,
Keith Baker said.
Some students wanted an animal mascot
that represented the namesake of the
University, the Grand Canyon, while others
wanted it to symbolize Prescott. Finalists
were Antelopes and the offbeat “Beasts
of Burden,” venerating the donkeys that
transported visitors on the Grand Canyon’s
steep and rocky trails.
“Dr. Puckett summed up the vote best,
saying, ‘I think the students made the better
choice,’” Keith Baker said.
GCU’s school colors and mascot also
were decided by students. The school colors
had been maroon and gold in Prescott,
but when GCU moved to Phoenix in 1951
students voted to change them to purple
and white to distinguish them from Arizona
State University’s colors. Black and gray
were added to the official color family in
1987 when former men’s basketball coach
Paul Westphal introduced black road
jerseys. Yellow returned as an accent color
in 2014.
Purple represents Christ’s royalty and
divinity, Keith Baker said.
“Christian schools often selected either
red (blood of Christ) or blue (royal lineage),”
he said. “Purple is a combination of the two,
representing the shedding of Christ’s blood as
the ultimate sacrifice from His divine/royal
nature.”
Thunder’s arrival was more recent. GCU
has had an antelope mascot since 1981, wisely
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. Before that, he went
by “Andy the Antelope,” “Johnny Lope” and
simply “the mascot.”
Ruth Nsubuga was the first Thunder, from
2005 to 2012, and she was known for her dance
moves at athletic events.
“Thunder started out doing photo shoots and
community events, and then we brought him to
the entertainment side,” said Nsbuga, an alumna
and University admissions representative. “Now
he’s rappelling from the ceiling and is way more
athletic. To see him grow and become this huge
is cool.”
Today’s Thunder is muscular, wears a No.49
basketball jersey (for GCU’s founding year) and
is known for his wild antics and dunking off
trampolines at basketball halftimes. He has nearly
rock-star status, and people of all ages adore him.
Alumnus Taylor Griffin, GCU’s director of
in-game entertainment, works closely with
Thunder and said the mascot’s growth is part
of creating a professional-level atmosphere at
home athletic events.
People outside GCU have taken notice,
too. Zuper Stars, a touring inflatable-mascot
halftime show, performed at GCU last year and
pronounced Thunder “the best mascot in the
country.”
Said Griffin, “Thunder has kind of become
the face of the University. He represents GCU’s
rise and professional growth.”
Donkeys may rise from the trails of the
Grand Canyon, but it seems that antelopes
were the proper beast to carry GCU’s
nickname.
Thunder is top Lope
during a men’s basketball
game in GCU Arena.
photos by darryl webb
Find outwhat students think of the personification of school spirit at GCU, our
own Thunder, in a video and see a slideshowof his evolution a
VIDEO
