"The Griffin" Is Newest NCAA Mascot

William and Mary Introduces the Griffin

Ryan Wilson is FanHouse's Back Porch Editor

After months of searching, William & Mary finally has a mascot. So it is with great pleasure that I proudly present the ... Griffin (!?).

The Griffin -- a mythical creature with the head of an eagle and the body of a lion -- was introduced Tuesday in a ceremony usually reserved for dignitaries and prop comics. The half eagle, half lion won out over the King and Queen, the Phoenix, a Pug and the Wren, and now is the "new, powerful guardian of the nation's second oldest institution of higher education."

"With its arrival, we now have a mascot that unites strength with intelligence, recalls our royal origins, and speaks to our deep roots in American history," William & Mary President Taylor Reveley said at the unveiling.