Osceola and Renegade Osceola and Renegade are the official mascot s of the Florida State University Seminoles . Osceola , representing the historical Seminole leader Osceola , and his Appaloosa horse Renegade to introduce home football games by riding to midfield with a burning spear and planting it in the turf . Osceola and Renegade debuted in 1978 , and are the most recent of several mascots used by the school . FSU has tried to ensure a dignified depiction for Osceola . The portrayal is supported by some leaders in the Seminole Tribe of Florida , though it remains controversial in some quarters . Depiction . Florida State ' s Osceola tradition is overseen by Allen Durham , whose father Bill Durham introduced it in 1978 . Osceola wears a Native American - themed costume that the university says was " designed and approved by the Seminole Tribe of Florida " , consisting of leather clothing , moccasin s , face paint , and a garnet bandana . He carries a feathered spear and is accompanied by " Renegade " , an appaloosa horse whom he rides bareback . Osceola performs at all home football games at Doak Campbell Stadium and related events like Homecoming . He initiates each game by charging Renegade to midfield and hurling his burning spear into the ground . The Durham family personally selects and trains both the rider and horse , and coordinates the tradition with oversight by the university . Students portraying Osceola must undertake a two - year apprenticeship , demonstrate necessary riding skill for the role as well as moral character , and maintain a grade point average of 3 . 0 . Students receive a scholarship for portraying Osceola , and are required to remain in character at all times and abide by a set of protocols when doing so . There is only one Osceola impersonator at a time ; as of 2013 fifteen students have played the role . History . Previous mascots . Florida State University adopted the Seminoles nickname in 1947 , just after its reorganization from a women ' s college to a coed institution . The moniker was selected through a fan competition ; reportedly the newly established football team so liked it that they stuffed the ballot box to ensure its selection . Prior to the introduction of Osceola and Renegade , the Florida State Seminoles used several different Native American - themed mascots . The first was Sammy Seminole , introduced at the FSU Pow Wow in 1958 for football games . This mascot was portrayed by a white male member of the gymnastics or circus programs , who performed wild stunts in garish faux - Native American garb . The gymnastics program ' s sponsorship of Sammy Seminole ended in 1968 , but the character was quickly reintroduced . In the late 1960s Chief Fullabull emerged as a mascot during basketball games . Like Sammy Seminole , he donned cartoonish Native American - themed outfits , and performed clownish stunts . Under protest from Native American groups , the character ' s name was altered to Chief Wampumstompum , though this did nothing to assuage the concerns of protesters . The character was replaced with a more traditionally dressed figure named Yahola , also known as the " spirit chief " . All of these mascots were eventually retired . Officials decided to find a more respectful representative for the school ' s teams . Development of Osceola . Osceola and Renegade were the concept of Bill Durham , a Tallahassee businessman and Florida State alumnus . He came up with the concept of a horseback - riding Seminole mascot as early as 1962 , when he was voted into the school ' s homecoming court . He returned to the idea in 1977 , and won the support of Ann Bowden , wife of head football coach Bobby Bowden , who helped make the dream a reality . Durham provided the costume as well as the horse , Renegade , while Bowden helped acquire the various permits necessary to allow a horse onto the field . The new mascot debuted at a September 16 , 1978 game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys . Osceola and Renegade proved quite popular , and subsequently other faux - Indian traditions arose , including the " War Chant " in 1984 and the " Tomahawk Chop " shortly after . Durham oversaw Osceola tradition for 25 years , and over time aspects of the performance have become more refined and regulated . In 2002 , Bill Durham retired from the role and passed it on to his son Allen Durham , who had earlier played the role of mascot . In the 1980s and 1990s , when mascots based on Native Americans became more controversial and many Native Americans and supporters protested their use , Florida State consulted with the Seminole Tribe of Florida , emphasizing that Osceola was never intended to be demeaning . Several representatives of the Seminole Tribe , including Chairman James E . Billie and Council Member Max Osceola , have given FSU their blessing to use Osceola and Seminole imagery . However , the matter remains controversial for other Florida Seminoles , as well as members of the Seminole Tribe of Oklahoma . Critics have noted a political undercurrent in this support from Seminole leaders , who are heavily involved in business ventures such as Indian casinos in the state . In 2005 , FSU was among the schools potentially facing NCAA sanctions for using " hostile and abusive " Indian mascots and names ; after much deliberation , the NCAA gave FSU an exemption , citing the university ' s relationship with the Seminole Tribe of Florida as a major factor . In keeping with his stoic portrayal , FSU refers to Osceola and Renegade as a " symbols " rather than mascots , and does not use them for more traditional mascot activities like cheerleading and promotions . In 2012 , the university revived an older mascot , an anthropomorphic horse named " Cimarron " , to fill this role .