Blitz
Blitz became Willamette's mascot in 1999. Unlike Barney, Blitz resembles a red panda. The name "Blitz" was chosen by Willamette students and replaced the bearcat's temporary name of "Benny." Blitz has seen two different costumes, although the designs are very similar. He often wears a sports jersey.
During the selection process, the Office of Communications intended to change Willamette's mascot from Bearcat to BearCat. Students protested the change in the Collegian, and the change was dropped.
The mascot program went through a revitalization process in 2011, and now Blitz makes many appearances throughout the year, at both sporting and community events.
In September 2011, Bryan Schmidt, Director of Campus Recreation, was asked about Blitz's gender. He answered, "we prefer to think of Blitz as an embodiment of the entire Willamette student population, with perhaps a tad more bounce in each step." Blitz is most often referred to as a "he."