Meet the Challenge

Michael Hamby
American, b. 1962

​Meet the Challenge, 1995

Bronze, 7' x 4' x 13'

Gift of the Artist’s Estate, NEHMA

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Michael Hamby’s bronze sculpture of a charging bull is strikingly realistic, evoking a sense of movement and liveliness. Positioned at the corner of 800 East and 1000 North Streets near USU’s athletic facilities, the statue commands attention from passers by with the title of “Meet the Challenge.” The statue commemorates USU’s bull mascot named “Big Blue,” which has a long history. Originally, Big Blue was a real white bull that students painted blue before each football game. In the 1980s, a student took on the role and began wearing a costume at athletic events. Several of these students became professional mascots upon graduating from USU. Today, Hamby’s sculpture is an integral part of Aggie traditions such as the Aggie Stampede, during which students gather on campus and march to the sculpture on their way to a football game in Maverik Stadium.