Arizona “Bear Down” and Arizona State “Forks Up” Bobbleheads Unveiled to Celebrate College Colors Day

This morning, to celebrate College Colors Day and in conjunction with the kickoff of the 2026 football season and start of the new school year, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled an officially licensed, limited-edition Arizona Wildcats “Bear Down” Bobblehead and an Arizona State Sun Devils “Forks Up” Bobblehead. The bobbleheads are part of our new College Slogan Series featuring nearly 30 of the best college slogans. The special edition bobbleheads are being produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, an official licensee of the University of Arizona and Arizona State University.

• The bobbleheads, which are expected to ship in February, are now available at this link.
• Each bobblehead will be individually numbered to only 2,026.
• The bobbleheads are $40 each, plus an $8 flat-rate shipping charge per order.
• Standing on a “Bear Down” base in school colors, the Wilbur Wildcat bobblehead is wearing his signature blue flat-topped cowboy hat while making the “WC” hand gesture. Standing on a “Forks Up” base in school colors, the Sparky the Sun Devil bobblehead is wearing a maroon and gold No. 1 football jersey while giving the “Forks Up” hand gesture.
• The famous “Bear Down” motto of the Arizona Wildcats originated in October 1926 from the final message of student body president and quarterback John “Button” Salmon, who suffered a fatal spinal cord injury in a car crash. After the first game of the football season, Salmon and three friends were in a car that flipped over in a ravine near Florence, Arizona. While his friends escaped serious harm, Salmon suffered a severe paralyzing injury. As Salmon lay critically ill in the hospital, his coach, J.F. “Pop” McKale, visited him daily. During McKale’s last visit, he asked what message he should bring back to the team. Salmon replied: “Tell them … tell the team to bear down.” Coach McKale shared Salmon’s message with the team before their next game against New Mexico State, inspiring a hard-fought 7-0 victory.
• The “Forks Up” hand gesture (also called “The Pitchfork”) was created in 1986 by students Adam Driggs, Joe Cuff, and Mark Carlino. They invented the three-fingered gesture on a San Diego beach to give the Sun Devils a unique symbol for football and a rival gesture to the University of Arizona’s “Bear Down.” An extension of the trident that Sparky carries during football games, it is now widely used by those associated with Arizona State.
• The bobbleheads are being released in conjunction with College Colors Day, which is celebrated annually on the Friday before Labor Day for the start of the new college football season and school year. The fall semester began at Arizona State on Thursday, August 20th, and at the University of Arizona on Monday, August 24th for undergraduate students. The Wildcats open the 2026 football season on Saturday, September 5th against Northern Arizona at Casino Del Sol Stadium in Tucson, while the Sun Devils open on the same day against Morgan State at Mountain America Stadium in Tempe.
• “We’re excited to unveil these “Bear Down’ and ‘Forks Up’ bobbleheads as part of our College Slogan collection,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “As two of the most iconic and recognized college slogans, ‘Bear Down’ and ‘Forks Up’ get Arizona and ASU fans fired up every time. These bobbleheads are a must-have for Wildcat and Sun Devil fans everywhere!”
• The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, which is located at 170 S. 1st St. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, opened to the public on February 1st, 2019. The HOF and Museum also produces high quality, customized bobbleheads for retail sale as well as organizations, individuals, and teams across the country.