After being named number one in innovation by U.S. News & World Report six years in a row, Arizona State University is looking for a new way to innovate. But it’s not education that’s looking for a boost but Sparky, ASU’s iconic Sun Devil. The university is asking for ideas on how to “level-up” the mascot for Fall 2021.

Like Tony Stark transforming into Iron Man, Sparky is looking to evolve into a technologically-enhanced “hero” for Arizona’s biggest university.

The Ignite Sparky Design Challenge is open to students and the public, with multiple rounds to compete in.

ASU professor and director of the challenge Brent Sebold says the goal isn’t to change Sparky, but to give him an enhancement that will make him more powerful than he already is.

What that means exactly is open to the imagination, but a super-dose of “spark” is encouraged in Sparky’s pandemic makeover.

More Stories From KJZZ

• Did You Know: Who Was ASU's First Performing Sparky Mascot?
• Untold Arizona: Arizona University Mascots A Century In The Making