Today’s cardinal-and-white-clad Bucky — full name Buckingham U. Badger — has come a long way from the first Badgers mascot, a live badger who made occasional appearances at football games.

The evolution of Bucky dates back to 1890s. In an effort to incite enthusiasm among gridiron spectators, the University of Wisconsin football team introduced a very furry, very alive and very uncaged ...