Before the panther, Pitt teams went by "Wups,” the school's old acronym as the Western University of Pennsylvania, a name the chancellor dropped in 1908 for sounding too much like "whup." A year later, alumnus George Baird pitched the panther as a replacement: a formidable predator once native to the region, with a coat close enough in color to Pitt's old gold to make the branding easy. The mascot didn't get the name "Roc" until decades later, borrowed from 1930s Pitt football lineman Steve Petro, nicknamed "the Rock" for his toughness under coach Jock Sutherland.

A charcoal gray version can be found at The Pitt Shop.

• Brand: Crew Dog
• Color: Cream
• Fabric: 100% Cotton
• Fit: Relaxed