The term "mascot" entered the English language in 1880 and was used to represent any animal, person or object that brings good luck.

According to the school, Southern Illinois students wanted a "more imaginative mascot" than Maroons in the late 1940s, so there was a student vote for the school's mascot in March 1951.

Just months after winning a minor league baseball logo contest on CNBC.com, the Southern Illinois Miners' chief mascot has helped the team sell almost $90,000 in merchandise in the first quarter ...

FREEBURG, Ill. (AP) — Athletes at a southern Illinois high school will keep the nickname Freeburg Midgets, despite the objections of a group representing people with dwarfism who find the name ...