The following article is a part of our April Fool’s edition, The Scoop. The content of these stories is entirely fabricated and not to be taken seriously.
Bradley’s gargoyle mascot Kaboom! has entered the NCAA transfer portal, according to a post to the character’s official Twitter account on Tuesday afternoon.
“I want to thank everybody at BU for all the memories over the last seven years,” Kaboom! said in his message, screenshotted from the Notes app of his phone. “My time with the Braves will always hold a special place in my heart. With that said, my recruitment is 100% open and I’m looking forward to the next chapter! #GodsPlan”
Kaboom! has served as the school’s official mascot at all athletic events since 2014, playing a key role in boosting school spirit — especially at men’s and women’s basketball games.
The 5-foot-11-inch stone creature was the university’s first mascot since 1996 upon his reveal during the 2014 basketball campaign.
A source inside Bradley Athletics told The Scoop that tension had grown between the mascot and Braves coaches over the course of the last two seasons.
Allegedly, Kaboom! had repeatedly vied for a bigger role within the athletics department, including starting positions on both basketball teams. Those requests were continuously denied by coaches, citing a lack of athleticism, mobility and vocal leadership.
“I’m not sure who this mascot thinks he is,” an anonymous coach said in an interview. “The thing can’t even jog a few feet without tripping over itself. Sure, having a mascot is great for school spirit and all, but Kaboom! has continued to overstep boundaries. I’m glad this sideshow is over.”
Leadership within the department is unsure how to move forward in finding Kaboom!’s replacement.
“In all my years at Bradley, replacing a mascot might be the most unique challenge I’ve been presented with,” vice president of intercollegiate athletics Christine Raynolds said. “Frankly, it’s not something I ever anticipated having to do. We’ll be conducting a national search, but I’m not sure that we can come up with a mascot as unique as a gargoyle again.”
Kaboom!’s next destination may not be all that far away. While multiple schools have expressed interest, Missouri Valley Conference rival Valparaiso is rumored to be aggressively recruiting the mascot.
In February, Valpo announced it would stop using the Crusaders team name and begin curating new team names and imagery — which may include a mascot.
Kaboom!’s career highlights on The Hilltop include being named the Best Mascot in the 2019 NCAA tournament by USA Today.
