Kansas State Wildcats Celebrate Bowl Win By Eating Pop-Tarts Mascot

It may be bowl season in the world of college football. But even as teams vie for top-dog status and bragging rights, the winner of this year's games is, without a doubt, Pop-Tarts. The Kansas State Wildcats took on the North Carolina State Wolfpack at the Pop-Tarts Bowl in Orlando, Florida, and after a 28-19 victory, the Wildcats were rewarded with an "edible mascot" during their post-game revelry. Who knew this breakfast pastry would have so much appeal?

The mascot in question was a frosted Pop-Tart named Strawberry who slapped the ref on the derriere during the game and danced. After the Wildcats' victory, the tart held up a sign that read, "Dreams really do come true" as it descended into an oversized toaster, emerging on the other side as an edible Pop-Tart cake for the players to feast upon. The winning quarterback, Avery Johnson, along with Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman got to dig in first. Needless to say, this celebratory moment claimed its 15 minutes, going viral on social media.

Surprisingly, this marketing stunt did not encourage members of X, formerly known as Twitter, to engage in a food fight over whether or not Pop-Tarts should indeed be toasted, especially considering there is a contingency out there who believe Pop-Tarts are best right out of the package sans toasting. Instead, some people pondered the brand's investment in this athletic competition. Ari Wasserman of The Athletic wrote, "There is no way the wonderful people over at Pop-Tarts aren't getting their money's worth for sponsoring this bowl game. I haven't had a Pop-Tart since college and now I want them. Talk of the town tonight."

Pop-Tarts further claimed the spotlight with the winning trophy constructed to clasp two actual Pop-Tarts. If you loved this Pop-Tarts moment and are wondering if there will be more to come in the future, the answer appears to be yes. Heidi Ray, Senior Director of Marketing, Pop-Tarts stated in a press release that replacing a permanent mascot with one that teams can sacrificially eat marks "the first of many traditions that fans can expect Pop-Tarts to upend on game day." In the meantime, feel free to make a Pop-Tarts-inspired cake.