It's official—the new Prairie Fire mascot is Blaze the fox.

Hundreds of members of the Knox community, including current students and alumni, were officially introduced to the mascot for the first time on Friday, October 14. Blaze made a grand entrance at a special Meet the Mascot event, which was part of this year's Homecoming festivities. Accompanied by smoke, purple lights, and a cheering crowd, Blaze punched its way into Memorial Gym and entertained the crowd, stopping to take selfies with fans along the way.

Hosted by the Department of Athletics and the Student Homecoming Committee, the event featured games and karaoke for those in attendance, along with a variety of giveaways, including Prairie Fire rally towels, temporary tattoos, foam flame hats, and t-shirts. A special video, created with the assistance of Knox alumnus Andrew Isaacson '99 and his firm Famous Group, was featured at the event as well.

Friday night's event wasn't the first time Prairie Fire fans had seen the mascot. The fox was unveiled during the College's annual Pumphandle event on September 11, and students were given the opportunity to suggest and then vote on the mascot's name during the month of September. The name—and costumed mascot—was kept secret until Friday evening's Meet the Mascot event.

"This night has been a long time coming," said Chad Eisele, Knox College director of athletics. "We've been planning this event for the last few months, and it was amazing to finally meet Blaze live and in person and see the reactions from students and alumni. We are thrilled that our athletics program now has an official mascot to attend games, generate excitement, and represent our program both on campus and beyond."

The fox mascot was developed in conjunction with the new Prairie Fire logo, which was revealed in February 2016. The mascot and logo were designed and developed by SME, Inc. in New York, a brand development and creative consultant who has worked with many colleges and universities around the country. Knox athletics worked together with the Offices of Communications, Admission, and Advancement and AtLast Communications on the development of both projects. Support for the creation of the mascot was provided by the K Club, Knox's athletics booster club.

"We knew that students were excited about the new mascot," added Eisele, "but it was amazing to see our alumni get equally excited to meet Blaze over the weekend. We look forward to seeing Blaze at many upcoming events, not just for athletics but for the College as a whole."

After Friday's reveal, Blaze attended a number of Homecoming events over the weekend, including an all-class reception and Saturday's athletic competitions and visited with alumni across campus. Knox plans to make Blaze available for College and community events as well.

Merchandise featuring the new fox mascot is now available in the on-campus bookstore in Seymour Union, as well as online at knoxshop.knox.edu.

View more photos of Blaze and Homecoming 2016.