Battle of the bison: CU to face North Dakota State

DENVER (KDVR) — North Dakota State is making its way to Folsom Field to face off against the University of Colorado to kickstart the college football season on Thursday. On the field, the teams will look to share nothing with each other. Off the field, they do have one thing in common: Both of their mascots are bison.

Sorry, Buffs fans: As iconic a mascot as CU’s Ralphie is, the team’s branding isn’t scientifically inaccurate. Buffalo and bison are used interchangeably, but the truth is that buffaloes have never been found in North America.

The shaggy-haired, massive-headed and powerful mascot of CU is actually a bison, which is the species located all over the continent. Bison can be found in North America and Europe, whereas buffaloes can be found in Africa and Asia.

What’s the difference?

Bison and buffalo are both from the Bovidae family but possess key features that distinguish them from one another.

Warm vs. cold

Buffaloes have a shorter coat of fur and are found in warmer climates where they never stray too far from pools of water. Bison have their shaggy, wooly coat that keeps them warm in the notoriously difficult weather conditions of the plains.

Heads and horns

Buffaloes, by comparison, have small heads that usually have beautiful long horns to accompany them. Bison are yet again the complete opposite with their massive craniums and short horns.

Temperament

Buffaloes are the much more chill of the two. Usually very docile and more easily domesticated, they are much calmer by nature.

Bison on the other hand have a bit of a hot streak. Quick to be agitated and ready to defend themselves it’s no wonder the Ralphie run feels so powerful. Disclaimer: It is probably good practice not to be on the opposite end of an angry buffalo or bison.

How did they get confused?

It is possible that the confusion of the buffalo and bison stems from many different places.

One theory is simple enough that early explorers in North America saw what looked to be a similar enough creature to the buffalo they had known and bestowed the title upon it without knowledge of its previous name.

A second theory is that the name originated from the French language where the words “les boeufs” are used for oxen and beef, which yet again look similar to a bison.

The third theory is that bison were used to make “buff jackets,” military jackets that were commonly used in the 17th century and looked as though they were made from “buffalo” fur and hide.

While technically inaccurate, it has become commonplace for the North American bison to be referred to as the buffalo.

The buffalo has become a symbolic and important part of the CU culture and lore. Watching Ralphie run at the beginning of games is one of the most thrilling traditions to see in college football and people pack the stadium to witness the marvel.

At the end of the day, you get to watch an 800-pound beast toss around a couple of cowboys as they try to keep up with her in a full sprint. Buffalo? Bison? Let’s just enjoy the show.

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