UMKC mascot gets nod of approval from bobblehead museum, hopping onto market

Roove over, KC Wolf. Another fan-favorite Kansas City mascot is getting its spot on the shelf as the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum this week unveiled an officially licensed, 8-inch bauble featuring the nearly-century-old icon.

KC Roo — the school mascot for the University of Kansas City-Missouri, sometimes referred to as “Kasey the Kangaroo” — earned status as a limited-edition bobblehead, in conjunction with National Bobblehead Day earlier this week.

KC Roo bobblehead; image courtesy of the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum

It joins a slate of featured figures crafted and sold by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum to showcase notable names and moments from across sports, pop culture and politics. Other recently debuted bobbleheads depict a wide range of personalities — from the Savannah Bananas mascot and New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani to the cast of “Saturday Night Live” and a selection of classic “Garbage Pail Kids.”

Click here to explore bobbleheads available to order or for pre-sale.

“We know how passionate Missouri Kansas City alumni, fans, students, faculty, and staff are about their school and bobbleheads, so we expect these bobbleheads to be extremely popular,” said Phil Sklar, co-founder and CEO of the Milwaukee-based National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum.

The bobblehead enthusiast previously released several other sets tied to the Kansas City region, including bobbleheads showcasing Big Jay, the mascot for the University of Kansas, and a special set replicating the Field of Legends at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and featuring a roster of such legendary players as Josh Gibson, Buck Leonard, John Henry “Pop” Lloyd, Judy Johnson, Ray Dandridge, Cool Papa Bell, Oscar Charleson, Leon Day, Satchel Paige, Martin Dihigo, Bob Motley, Rube Foster, and Buck O’Neil.

UMKC’s mascot was introduced in 1936 and soon after popularized by a version of “KC Roo” drawn by famed Kansas City-tied animator Walt Disney to represent the university’s athletic teams, known as the Roos.

“The decision to have a kangaroo as a mascot reportedly stemmed from a student council decision seeking a unique and memorable identity that would stand out from typical regional mascots,” Sklar said.

Click here to read more about the history behind KC Roo.

Kasey the Kangaroo joins Mauli Agrawal, chancellor of UMKC, in celebration of the university’s new R1 research status in 2025; photo courtesy of UMKC

A shopper checks out an exclusive MADE MOBB apparel collaboration with UMKC during a September 2024 drop party event at the store; photo by Taylor Wilmore, Startland News

The mascot has seen a resurgence in the public consciousness in recent years with its Disney-linked and “Hopping Roo” versions featured in high-profile apparel drops from streetwear company MADE MOBB, as well as the prominence of its costumed incarnation at UMKC events. 

The KC Roo bobbleheads — expected to ship in June — are individually numbered to only 2,026.

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