I-84 Rivals Set to Battle for CCC Mascot Challenge Title on Monday

1/31/2019 10:00:26 AM

LA GRANDE, Ore. – Separated by just a two-hour drive along Interstate-84, Eastern Oregon University and College of Idaho are no strangers to big matchups in their long and storied histories. On Monday, the two Cascade Collegiate Conference (CCC) institutions will face-off in a different kind of championship, as each of their respective mascots will compete for the right to be crowned the 2019 CCC Mascot Challenge champion.

Both institutional icons had to endure a hard-fought semifinal contest to reach the finals, with Monty edging out last year’s Mascot Champion (Hootie the Owl of Oregon Tech), and Yote riding a strong Twitter turnout en route to the championship berth. For Monty, it’s the second-straight trip to the competition’s finals, with Eastern Oregon still in search of its first CCC Mascot Challenge trophy. College of Idaho, on the other hand, already has three titles under its belt, with Yote returning to the highest stage after being absent from last year’s final bout.   

Taking place on Monday, polls featuring the championship dual will be featured on both the CCC Twitter (@cccsports) and the CCC Instagram (@cascadeconference) story, with the combined total of votes received on both social media platforms determining who will claim the title.

Identical to the format of the quarterfinals and semifinals, voting for the bout will open at 10 a.m. PST, and close at the same time on the next day. The winner will officially be announced on the following day.

The complete schedule for the challenge can be seen below.
 
2018-19 CCC Mascot Challenge Schedule:
 
Opening Round—FACEBOOK VOTING
Jan. 16: Voting opens (top-eight advance to quarterfinals) at 8 a.m. PST
Jan. 17: Voting closes for round one at 8 a.m. PST
 
The top-eight will be announced on January 17.
 
Quarterfinals—TWITTER/INSTAGRAM VOTING
Jan. 21 (2 vs. 7) – Cadmar (Corban) vs. Swoops (Northwest) à Winner: Cadmar
Jan. 22 (3 vs. 6) – Monty (Eastern Oregon) vs. Wally (Walla Walla) à Winner: Monty
Jan. 23 (1 vs. 8) – Hootie (Oregon Tech) vs. Mr. Beacon (Northwest Christian) à Winner: Hootie
Jan. 24 (4 vs. 5) – Yote (College of Idaho) vs. Speedy Q (Evergreen) à Winner: Yote
 
Semifinals—TWITTER/INSTAGRAM VOTING
Jan. 29 (semifinal #1) – Monty (Eastern Oregon) vs. Hootie (Oregon Tech) à Winner: Monty
Jan. 30 (semifinal #2) – Yote (College of Idaho) vs. Cadmar (Corban) à Winner: Yote
 
Finals—TWITTER/INSTAGRAM VOTING
Feb. 4 (Championship) – Monty (Eastern Oregon) vs. Yote (College of Idaho)

The CCC Mascot Challenge winner will be announced on February 5.