A new version of UM’s mascot has just been unveiled. Take a look

You’ll see Sebastian the Ibis prowling the sidelines and the stands on Sunday when the University of Miami Hurricanes kick off their football season against Notre Dame.

And now the National Bobblehood Hall of Fame has unveiled a centennial version of the Canes mascot to celebrate the university’s 100th birthday. The bobblehead was dropped on Friday, College Colors Day, when students and alumni wear campus gear to celebrate school spirit.

And that spirit is in high gear as the Fighting Irish come to town to play the UM Hurricanes Sunday night at Hard Rock Stadium for a nationally televised game.

The Sebastian the Ibis bobbleheads, with a 100th birthday logo, are available now to order from the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum for $40 plus shipping, with delivery starting in January.

“We’re excited to unveil this special edition bobblehead celebrating the University of Miami’s centennial,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said.

The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in Milwaukee opened in 2019.

How did Sebastian the Ibis come to be as UMs mascot?

Here’s some Sebastian history from the Miami Herald archives:

While it seems like Sebastian was always destined to be UM’s mascot — the name “Ibis” was chosen for the school’s yearbook after all — the bird wasn’t always the private university’s mascot. In fact, UM’s first official mascot was a 65-pound thoroughbred boxer pup named Hurricane I.

The 3-year old boxer (whose real name was Beau Bo of Box Haven) was flown to Miami International Airport from New Haven, Connecticut. He was introduced to the university community by the Miami Hurricane student newspaper staff before the homecoming game in 1949, more than two decades after the school opened.

“Gators are my meat! Lemme at ‘em!” were the pup’s first statement to media, UM’s student newspaper reported at the time. Hurricane I would be attending all of the school’s major events, according to the student newspaper at the time.

The boxer was owned by UM student Bob Day, who had also owned Yale’s bulldog mascots for 10 years. The student newspaper says Hurricane I was selected to be UM’s official mascot a few weeks after it wrote about Day.

Another fun fact: When UM’s athletic department announced a mascot search in 1935, years before Hurricane I made his debut, people had a variety of suggestions, including crocodile, duck, cat, flamingo, cotton mouth moccasin, swan, pelican and heron. And yes, an ibis, the wading bird UM’s yearbooks were named after.

So, when did Sebastian take his rightful place as the U’s biggest fan?

Well, it seems like Sebastian’s mascot career began at a 1958 October homecoming pep rally, except back then the ibis was called “Icky.” He was created by a group of students living in San Sebastian, a residence hall on campus. The name Sebastian was chosen for the mascot via a contest.

“Student John Stormont performed at games in an Ibis costume that was glued, sewn and pinned together and was the forerunner of today’s bird,” UM says. In 1959, Sebastian the Ibis became UM’s official mascot. The folklore surrounding the bird is also fitting for a South Florida university known as the “Miami Hurricanes.”

“Folklore maintains that the Ibis, a symbol of knowledge found in the Everglades and Egypt, is the last sign of wildlife to take shelter before a hurricane and the first to reappear after the storm,” UM says.

This story was originally published August 29, 2025 at 11:36 AM.