Shockwaves in College Sports: Could the Big Ten Mascot Be Permanently Banned After Deadly Incident?

You have to wonder when a mascot stops being just a fun sideline companion and starts feeling more like a rolling liability—especially when that mascot is a full-blown highway-ready train. Purdue University’s Boilermaker Special, no stranger to the Big Ten spotlight, turned heads this week for a far grimmer reason: a fatal crash that has fans and officials questioning whether it’s time to retire this unique, iron-wheeled symbol from the roads altogether. It’s a chilling reminder that even traditions steeped in school spirit can steer dangerously off track. So, is it really worth the risk to keep driving this beast on public highways, or should the Boilermaker Special be parked indefinitely, letting the legends of Ohio State’s Brutus and Michigan State’s Sparty carry the mascot torch? Let’s dig deeper into what happened, what’s being said, and what might come next. LEARN MORE

There are growing calls for a Big Ten mascot to be banned after a fatal accident this week.

The Big Ten is home to some of the most famous mascots in the country, from Ohio State’s Brutus Buckeye to Michigan State’s Sparty to Nebraska’s Lil’ Red. Tragically, one of the Big Ten’s mascots was involved in a fatal car accident this week.

Purdue University’s Boilermaker Special was involved in a fatal accident on a highway in Indiana on Thursday, April 24. The Purdue mascot is an actual train that can be driven on the highway. It can reportedly get up to 75 MPH.

Tragically, the Purdue mascot appeared to have a tire issue while driving. It crossed the median and collided with a passenger car.

One person was killed, while two others were hospitalized.

Purdue confirmed the accident.

“We can confirm our Boilermaker Special was involved in a serious multi-vehicle accident in Tippecanoe County on April 24. The two students who were on the Special have been treated and released from the hospital. Our thoughts are with all those impacted by the incident,” the school said in a statement.

While the mascot has been driven to several away Purdue games over the years, many are now calling for it to be banned.

“Time to shut down taking that thing on highways. Not worth the negatives from what was no doubt an unfortunate accident,” one fan wrote.

“Shouldn’t take this thing out anymore,” another fan suggested.

“Horrible,” one fan added.

“How tragic! Prayers for peace and comfort to the families,” one fan added.

“I’m a Purdue fan. Given our season last year and this tragic accident, does it get any lower for us?” one fan added.

The Purdue Boilermaker Special has been involved in a fatal crash.

Here is what our team has confirmed:

2 people on board were taken to an area hospital.

The crash happened at 5850 U.S. Highway 52.

1 person was killed.
Photo is courtesy of our sister station WLFI pic.twitter.com/VLDKRB2Mfb

— Angela Ganote (@angelaganote) April 24, 2025

It’s probably a good idea to put this thing away, at least for a while, and not take it out on any major roads.