First of all, the red and blue are a little ugly together, but so is the Jayhawk that they have chosen to use for their fields and courts. However, the Kansas mascot is Big Jay and while he is kind of ugly-looking, he is a great mascot.
He also is partnered with Baby Jay as a father-son duo. Especially with how bad the football team has been in the past, being able to get the crowd into games is a big thing. He is also very recognizable.