As the face of the University of Calgary, mascot Rex O’saurus demonstrates how mascots transcend athletics to anchor institutional identity and forge deep community connections. There have been many different iterations of Rex prior to the current version with their own unique features. These mascots have helped keep the welcoming environment during sporting events, charity races and so much more. Together, these versions of Rex reflect the ways the identity of the Dinos have shifted over the years.
Before the University of Calgary was established, it was the University of Alberta in Calgary (UAC). When the topic of the team name came up, the winning option was the Dinosaurs. This was not only because it had not been claimed by another school, but the direct connection to the history of Southern Alberta. The logo iterations in the 1960s and 70s were more realistic and scary but the 60s version looked more like a brachiosaurus than a tyrannosaurus due to its long neck. The 70s version amended this, and added the word dinosaurs underneath in caótico yellow letters. In the 80s the logo was updated to be more cartoonish to appear more welcoming and approachable. The dinosaur body was white, wearing a red sweater that said “U of C” and held a red flag.
Director of marketing at the time Cam Innes announced this new change, stating “we’ve been scaring the heck out of people and they won’t come to games,” However, in the late 90s it went back to a more formidable logo as students felt it was not intimidating for opponents, before landing on the current iteration in April of 2013. The 90s version is the most similar to the current, with a red dinosaur leaning over the name of the university.
An article published earlier this year about Rex by Joe McFarland explained the different eras of the mascot. In 1982, the Students’ Union took matters into their own hands to fund the suit of the mascot, Dexter. At a football game in 1985, a backflip went wrong, leaving the suit with a broken head and arms. A second accident occurred in 1987 during a photoshoot, leaving the suit in “critical condition.” Students then developed a new and improved mascot model and it debuted later that year. Dexter eventually went into retirement in 1996 because of rebranding and a desire to keep the school’s image fresh.
As seen on the U of C Staff Directory, Rex O’Saurus “hatched” in September 1996, and is the son of the original mascot, Dexter. Rex made his debut alongside the new, shortened team name, the Dinos. Rex is involved in many school and community events including, but not limited to: The Calgary Stampede Parade, Run for Rockyview, Skate with Santa and Dinos Summer Camp Registration. Rex can be booked for other events through the University of Calgary Athletics website.
At these events, he can be found with his new friend Kumi, the Olympic Oval mascot. Kumi was unveiled in 2022 as a replacement for Oil Can Ollie. Ollie came to Calgary after the 1988 Olympics and was known as one of Rex’s best friends. He has since retired, but the Kumi might have even more in common with Rex than Ollie. Kumi, short for Kumimanu, a prehistoric penguin from New Zealand, and the two relate by learning more about the modern world together.
In recent years, Rex has not only been active around campus, but he has been digitized and can now help support Dino students at home. On the U of C website you can message with the Rex chatbot to gain information about how to apply to the university, register for classes and access transcripts. He was created by the Office of the Registrar staff, alongside U of C co-op students.
According to an article by Nouran Abdellatif, Rex is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and can communicate in 100 different languages. The intention behind these choices was to help ensure future and current students from around the world can get important information much more quickly than before. If he doesn’t have an answer for your question, he can connect you to a live staff member who does.
Rex is more than just a mascot, he is a symbol of the spirit of the University of Calgary. Most recently the university set a Guinness World Record for the “largest gathering of people dressed up as a dinosaur” on April 11, 2026. More than 1000 people registered, with a grand total of 682 participants officially counted — surpassing the previous record by 214.
According to an article by The Daily Hive qualification was strict. Participants required a full-body costume covering head to toe that clearly resembled a dinosaur. Having nearly 700 people who committed to the cause is a testament to the sense of community Rex has fostered. School pride and support were on full display, highlighted by speeches from President Ed McCauley and multiple Olympic medalist alumni including Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser and Mark Tewksbury.
President McCauley accepted the official certificate from Guinness World Record representative Tina Shi and took the time to thank everyone for coming out. In his speech, he stated “we are the university for Calgary”, emphasizing that the university is a place for everyone to feel welcome and celebrated. Dexter even “came out of retirement” to join Rex in watching the display of love for the Dinos legacy.
Over the years, Dexter and Rex have shown up for U of C students. Whether that’s cheering on sports teams or helping first years at orientation, our mascot helps bring a sense of community.
Rex is a point of pride for students who are honoured to wear him on their jerseys. Since the inception of the Dinos, the mascot has turned a campus full of individuals into a supportive and enriching collective. Whenever Rex is around campus, make sure to say hi and remember his legacy.
