Culture

The story behind UNC School of the Arts’ unique mascot

What started as a joke has become a source of pride for the Fighting Pickles.

August 5, 2024 • 
Cambridge Wrege
Two people in pink shirts on either side of a pickle mascot.

Welcoming students to campus is part of the Fighting Pickle’s official duties.

Photo courtesy UNC School of the Arts

UNC School of the Arts (UNCSA) has top-ranked filmmaking and drama schools. Arts education isn’t the only thing earning the school attention — its mascot is also a pretty big dill.

The Fighting Pickles have been around since the 1970s, when UNCSA held a contest to name its touch football team. Francis Perry says he and two housemates submitted “The Pickles” as a joke in honor of an oboe student who was on a quest for the perfect pickle.
Students relished the name and have embraced the moniker ever since.

Another contest in 2010 yielded an updated design of the mascot. The Fighting Pickles ranked No. 1 on Cheetos’ Top 25 Cheesiest Mascots list in 2012. It earned the title of “most unconventional college mascot” in an online competition in 2018.

Today, you can sport your pickle pride with merchandise and by supporting UNCSA productions. Learn more about what makes the university special.

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