APSU’s mascot, The Gov, takes center stage in ‘Austin Peay Experience’ podcast

Austin Peay State University has released a new episode of its podcast, “The Austin Peay Experience,” featuring an interview with the University’s beloved mascot, The Gov.

The episode debuted Monday, Aug. 28, marking the first episode of the 2023-2024 academic year. Grayson Nicholson, Austin Peay’s digital content specialist, hosted the podcast and sat down with The Gov to discuss his passion for spreading school spirit, how he started as a mascot and some of his favorite memories cheering on Austin Peay athletics.

“The Austin Peay Experience” launched in fall 2022 and aims to highlight the University’s role as the region’s university of choice by APSU’s centennial in 2027. The Gov’s feature episode, “The Man Behind the Mascot,” focuses on the university’s vibrant student life and school spirit.

“Being a mascot for so long, you really don’t have a lot of hard things because you’ve almost been doing it for so long that it’s pretty much like a lifestyle at this point. I’ve loved every minute of it,” said The Gov on what it’s like being Austin Peay’s beloved mascot.

The Gov also discussed memorable moments like competing at the collegiate national mascot championships and getting to perform at the University of Alabama’s stadium.

The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio and other major platforms. New episodes air once a month during the academic year. You also can listen to the podcast on YouTube.

“The Austin Peay Experience” is hosted by Nicholson and produced by Sean McCully, APSU’s photo and video coordinator, and Brian Dunn, APSU’s senior communication director.