Goldy is now officially a Hall of Famer!

Fans of Golden Gopher sports and even those only casually familiar with the University of Minnesota’s most famous ambassador all knew it. Now, it’s official. 

Goldy Gopher is a Hall of Fame mascot. 

On Friday morning, Aug. 7, Goldy was named to the Mascot Hall of Fame, “joining a pantheon of some of sports’ most famous costumed friends,” as ESPN reports. The official announcement came on television’s “Good Morning America,” where Goldy appeared live. His fellow Class of 2026 inductees include Cocky, mascot of the South Carolina Gamecocks; Cosmo of the Brigham Young University Cougars; Miles, mascot of the NFL’s Denver Broncos; and Mrs. Met of MLB’s New York Mets. 

They join 38 previously honored mascots spanning a range of sports, both collegiate and professional.

Goldy the mascot has been a proud symbol of Minnesota since the middle of the 20th century. The first official illustration of Goldy dates back to the 1940s, and in the early 1950s Goldy began making appearances at games, albeit with a fairly pathetic, almost laughable (not in a good way), costume. But Goldy’s look improved dramatically over the years. 

Goldy went through a fierce stage in the mid-’80s, but then morphed into the grinning, charming character fans have grown to love and laugh at for four decades since. 

The new Hall of Famer is no stranger to national accolades. As ESPN points out, Goldy has won four UCA national mascot championships — in 2011 and 2013, then repeat titles in 2017 and 2018. And you don’t have to see the hardware to appreciate what he brings to fans of the Gophers, old and young — but especially young. Kids and their camera-toting parents go well out of their way to get a photo of Goldy at sporting events and other Minnesota venues. Likewise, Goldy sometimes goes out of his way to engage with and then charm unsuspecting fans.

And Goldy’s costume changes at the home football game closest to Halloween are legendary.

According to the Mascot Hall of Fame’s website, the hall will be coordinating hometown celebrations for each mascot’s organization, with details on induction festivities, appearances and events to be announced in the coming weeks. 

So stay tuned. Goldy may soon be celebrating his own accomplishments.