We found out why Marco Rubio keeps wearing USF Cougars gear

Trevor J. Mitchell
Sioux Falls Argus Leader
Marco Rubio receiving the COVID-19 vaccine in a USF Cougars shirt

In December, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio posted a picture of himself on Twitter receiving the COVID-19 vaccine.

The responses to the tweet were spread across the political spectrum. Some praised  him for exhibiting the safety of the vaccine, others criticized him for getting it ahead of those who were at a higher risk for the disease.

Many in South Dakota, however, had a different question: Is that a Cougars shirt?

Indeed, it was. Rubio was wearing merch from the University of Sioux Falls, a private Christian university more than 1,000 miles away from his state.

This was, obviously, confusing. Theories abounded.

Had Rubio lost a bet with Sen. John Thune or Sen. Mike Rounds? Had Gov. Kristi Noem given him the shirt at some point? Had Rubio simply thought "USF" referred to the University of South Florida, despite their colors and mascot being completely different?

Paul TenHaken, who earned his MBA from the school, noted on Twitter that Rubio was "rocking that @USiouxFalls gear," but no answers became clear.

Then on Friday, Jan. 22, more than a month later, Rubio posted a video on Twitter, discussing how President Joe Biden "has talked like a centrist but governed from the radical left."

He was wearing a USF Cougars baseball cap. Rubio's collection of USF gear appeared to be growing.

Even Noem tweeted about it, saying she was "really curious why you keep wearing @USiouxFalls gear?"

Rumors swirled that perhaps the Cougars were recruiting Rubio's son for football, and were later shot down. Calls to Rubio’s D.C. office were not returned.

The real answer, said Sarah Strasburg, director of marketing and communications at USF, is simpler.

Apparently, the laundry staff of the Senate gym had a mixup and returned the USF shirt to Rubio — who just happened to wear it to his vaccine appointment.

"It got so much attention," Strasburg said, that they sent him a shirt, baseball cap and a "good-natured note."

"I have no idea why he chose to wear the hat," Strasburg said, expressing surprise at how many calls she's fielded on the matter.

"The long and short of it, it's basically a fluke," she said.

Rubio responded to the story on Saturday morning, saying USF was "a great school with cool swag" and adding that "when @johnthune leaves some laying around I claim it under the well established “finders-keepers” provisions of international law."