7 best dog mascots in college sports to celebrate National Dog Day
In honor of National Dog Day, these are the best dog mascots in college sports.
One of the best parts about college sports is the mascots.
There are many classic mascots like the Wolverine’s for Michigan or the Crimson Tide for Alabama. But what makes college mascots even better is that there are some that are live animals.
These live mascots range from dangerous wild animals like Mike the Tiger at LSU to harmless animals like Navy’s billygoat.
But with Aug. 26 being National Dog Day, it is impossible to not think about the amazing live dog mascots that college sports have given us.
Here are the seven best dog mascots in the NCAA.
No. 7: Reveille – Texas A&M
Students from Texas A&M adopted the very first Reveille in 1931 and they have been using a collie as their mascot since the second Reveille who became the official mascot in 1952.
And with A&M serving as a military school, Reveille has an entire company of cadets to take care of her, and one of these cadets serves as “mascot corporal” and accompanies Reveille throughout most of the day. And if all the care wasn’t enough, Reveille is officially the highest-ranking member of the Texas A&M Core of Cadets.
And with how adorable Reveille, it is definitely not surprising that she is treated so well on campus.
No. 6: Bully – Mississippi State
Bulldogs are a classic mascot in college sports and since they are known as an aggressive dog it is easy to see why. Mississippi State has a live bulldog mascot named Bully which dates back to 1935.
The first Bully was brought in by the head coach that season and after Bully’s arrival Mississippi State defeated Army and Alabama. State fans then agreed that the dog brought them good luck and they have kept on ever since.
Although Bully hasn’t brought the Bulldogs much luck on the field recently, he at least brings some good dog aura to the sidelines.
No. 5: Smokey – Tennessee
Back in 1953, Tennessee decided to add a live dog mascot to its program and decided to select a Coonhound and a dog named Blue Smokey was selected by the fans after receiving the loudest cheers from the fans during judging.
Throughout the history of the various Smokey mascots, he has appeared in commercials and always leads the Vols out of the tunnel at home games.
And during home game weekends and on game days, Smokey is cared for by a fraternity on campus, and it is easy to see why a fraternity would take time to care for Smokey with how adorable he is.
No. 4: Mission – Northern Illinois
NIU’s current live husky, Mission, was made the official mascot back in 2013 succeeding the previous mascot, Diesel, who retired.
After taking over as official mascot, Mission participated in the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge by sitting in a kiddie pool full of ice. And he then challenged the husky mascots at Washington and UConn to participate.
Mission is a charming dog by himself, but taking action to help others makes him even better.
No. 3: Butler Blue – Butler
Unlike many other schools with live dog mascots, Butler did not add theirs until much later in the school’s history.
The first Butler Blue was selected in 2000 and the most recent Butler Blue, Butler Blue III, retired back in May and the fourth one will begin his tenure at the beginning of this upcoming school year.
Butler Blue has been known to perform many tricks while being featured at home basketball games, including playing with the basketballs.
And Butler Blue is not complete without his signature oversized bone that he chews on during games, making him all the more lovable.
No. 2: Handsome Dan – Yale
Out of all the live dog mascots, Yale and Handsome Dan have one of the oldest traditions of dog mascots.
The first Handsome Dan was selected in 1889 based on his good demeanor around children and also his negative reaction to the color crimson, which is the color of Yale’s rival, Harvard. And the first Handsome Dan bulldog ended up winning the famed Westminster Dog Show.
Yale is now on their 18th Handsome Dan who is cared for by a member in the Athletic Department. And since Yale is 3-1 against Harvard during the current Handsome Dan’s tenure, the entire Yale community will want him around as long as possible.
No. 1: UGA – Georgia
When talking about best dog mascots in college sports, it is impossible to not put UGA at the top.
Georgia started using UGA as a mascot in 1956 and every UGA has been descended from the original ever since. They are currently on the 10th UGA who has been the official mascot since 2015.
UGA is treated like royalty on campus and has his own air-conditioned dog house on the sidelines of Georgia’s stadium that also includes bags of ice, all to help keep him cool during the hot game days in Georgia.
He also gets to travel with the team and stays in the same hotels they do. And with how adorable and beloved he is, it’s not hard to see why he’s treated so well.
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