Moraine Valley Community College’s newest addition is a coyote named Cy, who made his debut at the beginning of the fall semester.
“We wanted to create a realistic mascot that is fierce but not scary, friendly but not goofy,” said Jessica Crotty, chief marketing and communications officer at Moraine Valley. “I am really happy with our Cy, and I have been especially thrilled by the amazing response to him from everyone on campus.”
Cy wears a Moraine Valley Cyclones jersey and green gym shoes, representing the college’s athletic teams while reflecting the coyotes that live in the nearby Palos Forest Preserves.
The college’s Marketing and Communications Department led the selection process, researching the appearance of coyotes native to northern Illinois. Details such as Cy’s fur, ears, tail and eye color were chosen with that research in mind. His jersey features the year 1967, when Moraine Valley was founded.
Although the college now has a coyote mascot, its athletic teams will remain the Cyclones.
“Like many universities and professional sports teams, our college nickname and mascot do not match, but it’s actually more common than you might realize,” Crotty said. “We will continue to be the Moraine Valley Cyclones with a coyote mascot.”
Cy arrives as Moraine Valley marks 50 years of athletics. The program began in 1976 with a men’s basketball team known as the Running Rebels. The teams became the Marauders in 1982, then adopted the Cyclones name in 1997 following a college naming contest.
Today, Moraine Valley has 12 intercollegiate sports teams. The mascot’s debut also precedes the college’s 60th anniversary in spring 2027.
College President Dr. Pamela J. Haney said Cy represents the next chapter for Moraine Valley athletics.
“Cy welcomes the next chapter in the Moraine Valley Cyclones legacy,” Haney said. “We’ve created a mascot that reflects the competitive nature of our teams and inspires our community to be even more excited about the amazing things happening on our campus.”