The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company revealed a one-of-a-kind tire sculpture of beloved UM mascot Sebastian the Ibis to celebrate the team’s appearance in the 90th Goodyear Cotton Bowl Classic in Arlington, Texas on Dec. 31.
A tire statue of Brutus Buckeye, Ohio State’s mascot, will join Sebastian at AT&T Stadium on game day.
The hand-painted and clear-coated Sebastian the Ibis tire sculpture stands 6 feet 8 inches tall and weighs about 120 pounds.
The sculpture was made using around 160 Goodyear tires, with special attention dedicated to Sebastian’s feathers, that took two full days to cut by hand. The feathers are held in by 4,000 crown staples.
It took more than 560 hours across 16 days to create the sculpture.
The sculptures are handcrafted by retired professional baseball player Blake McFarland who is commissioned by Goodyear to create these pieces. This year, McFarland worked with a team of five to complete the sculptures.
This year marks the 10th anniversary of Goodyear’s tire art sculptures at the Cotton Bowl Classic. The sculptures represent a creative tradition and celebration that honors each team.
Fans will be able to take pictures with the Sebastian the Ibis tire sculpture at AT&T Stadium on game day. After the game, the sculptures will be donated to the University for display on campus.
As for the location, each school is given two options for where their mascot sculpture could go.
Goodyear can gift the sculpture to the participating university and arrange shipping with each school’s athletic department to transport it back to campus.
In another option, Goodyear can house the sculpture in their Goodyear Vault where it can then be auctioned off. The proceeds would then be donated to a charity of the school’s choosing.
The University has not announced their plan for the Sebastian sculpture yet.
Fans can watch the Miami Hurricanes face the Ohio State Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal at AT&T Stadium at 6:30 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Dec. 31.
The winner will advance to the CFP semifinal at the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.