March 12, 2024

April 9 update: due to rain forecasted the evening of April 10, times for Cody's birthday party and the Softball doubleheader have been updated in the article below. The information reflects the revised event times.

With no signs of slowing down, Columbus State University’s beloved mascot, Cody the Cougar, turns 54 this year. In honor of Cody’s birthday, the university is throwing a community-wide birthday bash for its beloved cougar mascot on Wednesday, April 10.

The party begins at 4 p.m. at Cougar Field, where CSU Softball will play the University of West Georgia Wolves in a double-header that afternoon. Admission to the party and the 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. games are free for students, employees and the community. Fans are encouraged to be “true to the blue” by wearing blue Columbus State spirit-wear to the games.

“Of course, we’ll be singing ‘Happy Birthday’ to Cody during pauses in the game, and we’ll have other in-game activities for everyone to enjoy,” noted Katie Evans, CSU’s director of alumni engagement and executive director of the CSU Alumni Association.

The Office of Alumni Engagement & Annual Giving will provide free cupcakes and Icey Girl snow cones to fans while supplies last, and concessions will be available for purchase at the game. Representatives from the Office of Admissions will be on-hand to answer questions about applying to and enrolling at CSU.

“Cody is looking forward to celebrating his special day, posing for pictures and sharing all the hugs he can with his adoring fans,” said Cheer Coach Jimbo Davis. “For him, that’s the perfect way to celebrate any birthday.”

Joining Cody will be the Columbus State cheerleaders, along with the university’s newest Miss CSU, Kennedy Larkin.

The celebration is a joint effort by CSU Athletics and the university’s Office of Alumni Engagement & Annual Giving, Office of Admissions, Office of Student Life & Development, and Residence Life.

Cody the Cougar—part of Columbus State’s award-winning competitive Cheerleading program—dates to 1970, when on April 17 the then-Columbus College student body voted the cougar as the university’s new official mascot. The university’s student newspaper, then called “The Saber,” reported on May 6, 1970, that students chose “Cougars” over “Titans” in a two-to-one campus-wide vote. To request a mascot appearance or for more information, contact Cheer Coach Jimbo Davis.

Media contact:
Michael Tullier, APR, Executive Director of Strategic Communication + Marketing, 706.507.8729, mtullier@columbusstate.edu