Mascot Hall of Fame opens fan voting for Class of 2026

Fan voting is now open for the Mascot Hall of Fame Class of 2026, with online ballots and shirt purchases counting through July 26. The campaign adds a new merchandise-driven vote system and could set the Hall’s next inductees for announcement the week of August 3.

Why it matters: - Fan participation now directly shapes which mascots enter the Mascot Hall of Fame Class of 2026. - The new shirt-for-vote option gives supporters another way to back nominees and adds a retail component to the vote. - The result will determine the next group of mascots to join a Hall that already includes major pro and college figures.

What happened: - The Mascot Hall of Fame opened fan voting for the Class of 2026 on July 15, 2026. - Fans can vote online at the official voting site up to twice per day through midnight Eastern on Sunday, July 26. - The Hall said the 2026 inductees are expected to be revealed the week of Aug. 3. - For the first time in MHOF history, each of the 11 candidates has a limited-edition T-shirt in the official MHOF Store. - Each shirt sold counts as one vote for that mascot.

The details: - The 11 candidates are Split of the Savannah Bananas; Hook 'Em of the University of Texas Longhorns; Miles of the Denver Broncos; The Pirate Parrot of the Pittsburgh Pirates; Mrs. Met of the New York Mets; Goldy Gopher of the University of Minnesota; FIN the Whale of the Vancouver Canucks; Buzz of the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets; Cosmo the Cougar of Brigham Young University; Purdue Pete of Purdue University; and Cocky of the University of South Carolina. - The Hall said the field came from more than 500 nominations. - The shirts are officially licensed, limited edition and tied to this voting cycle. - Fans who buy a nominee shirt at the MHOF Store get one vote for that mascot in addition to daily online voting. - The Hall said it sent a shirt to each nominated mascot. - Photos and videos of mascots wearing the nominee shirts are expected to start appearing on social media Friday. - Fans are being encouraged to post shirt photos with #MHOFVote2026 and tag @MascotHall. - Voting also includes subscriber-only early access for people on the MHOF email list.

Between the lines: - The shirt program turns fan voting into a merchandise campaign, which could expand engagement beyond the Hall’s existing online audience. - The Hall is leaning into mascot fandom as a social media event, not just a ballot. - The announcement emphasizes the emotional pull of mascots as performers and community symbols, not only sports characters.

What's next: - Fan voting continues online and through shirt purchases until midnight Eastern on July 26. - The Mascot Hall of Fame plans to reveal the Class of 2026 during the week of Aug. 3. - Mascot photos and videos tied to the nominee shirts are expected to roll out across social platforms beginning Friday.

The bottom line: - The Mascot Hall of Fame has turned Class of 2026 voting into a two-track campaign: free daily ballots online and paid votes through limited-edition shirts.