GUBA is the mascot of the men's athletic teams, the Golden Bears. GUBA debuted in the early seventies and was created by Chuck Moser, who at the time was the assistant athletic director. Moser came up with the idea for a school mascot while visiting Hawaii. There he attended the Rainbow Classic basketball tournament in which one of the team's mascots caught his attention. Once home he got to work creating and designing the mascot. At a local costume shop and after many meetings, the first GUBA suit was created. The name for the mascot was created through a "name-the-bear" contest. Many entries were submitted but one name stuck out in the end. Dave Zaharko, a student who went on to become a CFL linebacker, submitted the name GUBA (standing for Great University Bear of Alberta). The name won over the naming committee and became the official name of the mascot. Over the decades GUBA has been known for his energetic personality and ability to pump up fans in the crowd.
Golden Bears & Pandas Athletics are proud to have GUBA and Patches support on and off the field. Both can be found on the sidelines or in the stands at Golden Bears & Pandas home games. They also participate in several events on University of Alberta campus and in the Edmonton area each year.
At this point, we not currently accepting requests for mascot appearances.
