For all sports fans, now is one of the most exciting times of the year. The March Madness Tournament is underway to determine the National Champion of college basketball. The Spartans, Tar Heels, Blue Devils, Buckeyes and many more perform on “The Big Dance”, fighting for the right to be called the best of the best. So, being an avid sports fan and dog lover, I have dedicated this article to the loyal canine sports mascots of Division 1 college basketball.
Best Loved Pet Breeds of Dogs
One would think there would be some diversity in the selection of breeds used as pet dogs, but apparently there isn’t much. The overwhelming leader is the Bulldog, who is the mascot of:
• Butler College (Indianapolis, Indiana) – In 1919, a week before the big game against rival Franklin “Baptists,” the school newspaper featured a George Dickson cartoon inspired by the Butler fraternity’s bulldog mascot. The cartoon featured a bulldog labeled “Butler” biting John the “Baptist’s” butt in reference to the upcoming game against Franklin. Although Butler lost the game, the bulldog mascot stayed.
• Drake University (Des Moines, Iowa) – “Spike the Bulldog” has been Drake’s mascot since the 1930s. The university recently held a Beautiful Bulldog Contest to choose its official live bulldog mascot for the school.
• California State University, Fresno (Fresno, CA) – In 1921, student body president Warren Moody and his friends were always greeted outside the school’s main campus building by a white bulldog. The dog eventually adopted the group and inspired Warren to make him the official school mascot.
• Gardner-Webb University (Boiling Springs, North Carolina) – Its mascot is the Runnin’ Bulldogs and is currently represented by Mac T and Lulu Bulldog.
• Georgetown University (Washington, DC): Although their team’s official name is the Georgetown Hoyas, they feature a bulldog named Jack as their team logo. Numerous dog breeds have been used to symbolize the Hoya, such as bull terriers and even a Great Dane, but the bulldog was ultimately chosen for his “toughness.”
• University of Georgia (Athens, Georgia) – “Uga” (currently Uga VIII) is the name of the school’s live bulldog mascot. Uga has always come from the same line of English Bulldogs from breeder, Frank Seiler. The dogs live with the Seiler family in Savannah, GA, but Uga always makes sure to attend all the home games in Athens and many of the road games as well. Bulldogs are prone to overheating therefore; Uga is given an air-conditioned doghouse and sits on ice packs during home games. He is also part of elaborate pre-game ceremonies and adorns a jersey to match the players. Whenever an Uga retires, there is a “bone transition” ceremony to transition from leadership to an interim mascot.
• Gonzaga University (Spokane, Washington) – The Gonzaga Bulldogs, also known as the “Zags,” have Spike the Bulldog as their school mascot.
• Louisiana Tech University (Ruston, Louisiana) – The story behind the LA Tech bulldog is heartwarming. In 1899, five LA Tech students were walking back to their boarding house where they encountered a lone bulldog on the way. They fed him what was on them and continued on. Arriving at their destination, they realize that the pup had followed them. The students were given permission for the dog to spend the night in the kitchen. In the middle of the night, a fire broke out. The bulldog ran from room to room pulling the sheets off the students to wake them up. All but one of the students was evacuated, so the dog ran after the missing student. Moments later, the last student ran off safely, but the dog never came back out. He was eventually found dead inside the building burned from smoke inhalation and the students honored this heroic dog by making him the school mascot.
• Mississippi State University (Mississippi State, Mississippi): Although MSU’s previous mascots were the Aggies, followed by the Maroons (after the school’s maroon and white colors), the Bulldogs have been the official school mascot since 1961.
• Western Illinois University (Macomb, Illinois) – “The Fighting Leathernecks” honors legendary athletic director and coach Ray “Rock” Hanson with his team’s mascot, Rocky the Bulldog.
• Yale University (New Haven, Connecticut) – “Handsome Dan” has been the school’s mascot since 1889 and is believed to be the first living college mascot of its kind in the United States. So far there have been 17 dogs to take the title as Handsome Dan.
While they are definitely the most popular pets, bulldogs are not the only canine pets to be found. The defending national champions, the University of Connecticut have “Jonathan the Husky.” There are also the Houston Baptist Huskies, the Northeastern University Huskies (represented by Paws the Husky), and the Washington Huskies (represented by Harry the Husky).
honorable mentions
In addition to bulldogs and huskies, other college sports mascots that represent dogs as mascots include the Salukis of southern Illinois (also known as Persian Greyhounds), the college Saints of Siena (represented by Bernie “Saint” Bernard), the Tartans of Carnegie Mellon (represented by “Scotty the Scottie Dog”), and the University at Albany’s Albany Great Danes.
Another team mascot to watch out for is the Texas Aggies from Texas A&M University. Technically, “aggie” is short for agricultural school. Still, they have a live Rough Collie named “Diana” who has been their pet since 1931. During World War II, Texas A&M contributed many officers and soldiers to the war effort. To thank the school for his efforts, Reveille was given the honorary title of Cadet General by the US Army and even had a military funeral following his death on January 8, 1944.
The future of canine pets
So why aren’t there more dog mascots in sports? Where is all the diversity of dog breeds? I mean, I get why no one wants to be “Fighting Dachshund.” Even though they ARE hunting dogs, no one wants to be nicknamed “The Weenies”…but where are all the Dobermans, Mastiffs, and Golden Retrievers? Seriously, we already have golden bears, golden eagles, golden sparkles, and golden gophers… how about a pet that makes sense? I love golden bears as much as anyone else, but it would be nice to see another canine mascot in the world of sport.
Well, if I ever decide to open my own university or buy a professional sports franchise and get the chance to rename it, I’ll make sure to keep man’s best friend in mind.