Butler University's live mascot program, which features a live English Bulldog, is a nominee for the Mascot Hall of Fame.

Fans of Butler Blue IV (who has served as Butler's official mascot since January 2020) and his predecessors will have an opportunity to vote online for his induction into the Mascot Hall of Fame. Voting begins this Sunday, October 3, and ends Saturday, October 9. Go to mascothalloffame.com to cast your vote.

Located in Whiting, Indiana, the Mascot Hall of Fame is the only hall of fame of its kind and also serves as an interactive children's museum. Butler Blue looks to join legendary mascots like the Phillie Phanatic, Mr. Met, and Ohio State's Brutus Buckeye in the Mascot Hall of Fame. The Indianapolis Colts' Blue and Indiana Pacers' Boomer were both inducted in 2020. Butler Blue is seeking to become the first live mascot in the Mascot Hall of Fame.

"Butler University's live mascot program has come a long way since its inception in 2000," Evan Krauss, Butler Blue IV's handler, said. "It would be a tremendous honor for the program to be inducted as the first live mascot in the Mascot Hall of Fame."

Earlier this year, Blue IV's birth and the Changing of the Collar ceremony introducing him as Butler's official mascot were featured in an episode of the Netflix docuseries Dogs. Blue IV's national and international popularity grew immensely following the debut of the episode. He now has 42,000 followers on Instagram, 18,500 followers on TikTok, 13,000 followers on Twitter, and 7,000 followers on Facebook.

His prominence was also bolstered this spring when he declared himself "The Mayor of March" ahead of the 2021 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. Due to the pandemic, Indianapolis hosted every game of the tournament in 2021, with 16 of those games being played at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse on the Butler University campus. Blue IV had a presence at all of those games, as well as other games and festivities connected to the tournament throughout the month.

"Blue is the big man on campus at Butler," Krauss said. "He's also a celebrity in Indianapolis. He cannot go anywhere in town without being stopped by people who want to pet him and get a selfie."

The 2021 Mascot Hall of Fame inductees will be officially announced to the general public at the "Cue the Confetti Fundraiser" Friday, November 5, 2021. The official induction ceremony will be held June 11, 2022. Both events will take place at the Mascot Hall of Fame.