Elon Athletics introduced the new physical mascot at the semester's first College Coffee on Aug. 25.
The mascot — a bright red Phoenix wearing Elon's monogram "E" and shoes with flame designs — is part of the university's athletics rebrand, which was initially announced Aug. 17.
Students in attendance got their chance to take pictures with the face of athletics, meeting their new mascot for the first time.
“He looks pretty cool. I think the vibrant colors really pull your eyes toward it," sophomore Nicole Diles said. "He seems pretty chipper to take pictures with everybody."
"I love it," sophomore Chris Mendez said. "It definitely just matches everything. Just the whole restructuring and fixing up from what we had. So it's definitely an improvement."
Some fans were more vocal about their support.
"It really resembles our school — like the fire and the ashes. So I love his shoes," junior Ethan Perry said. "It reminds me of how we could be torn down to the bottom and rise up from the ashes, and now our mascot did too."
However, not all students are sold.
"I'm partial to the old one," sophomore Aniyah Gordom said. "I feel like this one looks more like a falcon than a Phoenix."
The physical mascot is the latest piece of Elon Athletics' ‘Phoenix Rising’ initiative, a plan that aims to strengthen students' connection to Phoenix sports. Not everyone is convinced it will.
"I feel like at this point in time, people don't fully consider the mascot as just a part of athletics, so I don't fully agree," Diles said, despite liking the design. "It's kind of just like you see him at events, you take pictures, but I'm not really connecting the dots there."
The new Phoenix will be on full display when Elon football opens its season at home against Glenville State University at 7 p.m. on Aug. 27 at Rhodes Stadium.