Our Mascot?

[CajunNation]

People associate South Louisiana with gators.

They associate it even more with these people called Cajuns. Hence, our nickname.

[Turbine]

That's great...for them. They ARE the Tigers.

We ARE NOT the Gators.


The bottom line is that all schools that have a group of people for a nickname (Cajuns) either have a physical representation of this group of people for a mascot or have a mascot with historical ties to the school or the state that school represents.

At least Louisiana is the only state that has the Catahoula as the official State Dog, and the history of the breed is fascinating. The breed was developed specifically because they were found to be very good hunters in the Swampy marshland of South Louisiana and for their fearlessness.

It just fits.

You are confusing a bunch of things UL is not the peppers, won't be dogs, and won't be gators.

A spirit leader mascot and a live campus gator habitat is not who you are it is peripheral branding.

Now then, about your fave; Not one person on the planet (upon first exposure) will get the Louisiana dog connection. Yes it fits but requires massive educating.

The vast majority of people need no education to get the Louisiana BullGator connection.

Not only that but it makes UL a tourist destination and creates fans for life.

[CajunJack55]

BullGator sounds like one of those really bad SyFy Channel Orginal Movies....It's no Sharknado but close...



That being said...I love the BullGator idea haha

[Ragin9221]

See SyFy gets it! lol

[CajunNation]

A spirit leader mascot and a live campus gator habitat is not who you are it is peripheral branding.

At least my peripheral branding is designed to further our identity as The University of Louisiana.

.. Not one person on the planet (upon first exposure) will get the Louisiana dog connection. Yes it fits but requires massive educating.

The vast majority of people need no education to get the Louisiana BullGator connection.

You are very wrong here. I don't get why the University of Louisiana needs the BullGator as a mascot, and most people will not either at first glance. Where is the link other than it's a cool thing and we can now do a "chomp" thingy with our arms during the game?

Look, any mascot at any school usually has a page in the program explaining why it is the mascot. A Bullgator or a Catahoula will both need explanation.

[ULalum06]

Am I the only one here that thinks we don't need a physical mascot? I don't want to be gator or a doggy, or anything else like that. Let us just be Louisiana. Enough.

Yea, I get it...merchandising rights, revenue streams from plush gators. if that's what we are banking on then that's poop.

[Turbine]

At least my peripheral branding is designed to further our identity as The University of Louisiana.




You are very wrong here. I don't get why the University of Louisiana needs the BullGator as a mascot, and most people will not either at first glance. Where is the link other than it's a cool thing and we can now do a "chomp" thingy with our arms during the game?

Look, any mascot at any school usually has a page in the program explaining why it is the mascot. A Bullgator or a Catahoula will both need explanation.

Well I'm only going by experience with my out of State cousins who had a million Louisiana Gator questions when I was growing up. Funny thing is at the first instance I had never seen one in person and I have been here all my life. This predated my Nutria trapping teenage years.

As far as a connection, BullGators living on the UL campus predates UL becoming a school. That is why they fenced off the Swamp when they built the first football field.

True the Swamp slowly receded over time when they built Institute Avenue (University) and the drainage ditches began to choke off the water source. The Swamp atrophy continued when they built Hebrard Boulevard, Boucher Drive, and Saint Mary. By the time all those roadside drainage ditches were done it was just a Cypress Grove that only flooded with big rains. By then the everyday Gators were long gone.

Still there is an undeniable Louisiana connection on every front.

[CajunNation]

...and that explanation Turbine will have to be provided in the Gameday Program, just like the connection for the Catahoula would.


I guess our disagreement here revolves around the perception of fans and how to deal with that.

I believe that a Gator mascot will only cause confusion and ridicule. You say it shouldn't be that way, and we don't need to apologize. I say, it will be reality, and confusion in the "branding" arena is the last thing we need right now.

I say we pursue all things officially "Louisiana". We already have the largest official State Flag on the field before the game. Why not trot out the official State Dog as our mascot right along side?

[Turbine]

...and that explanation Turbine will have to be provided in the Gameday Program, just like the connection for the Catahoula would.


I guess our disagreement here revolves around the perception of fans and how to deal with that.

I believe that a Gator mascot will only cause confusion and ridicule. You say it shouldn't be that way, and we don't need to apologize. I say, it will be reality, and confusion in the "branding" arena is the last thing we need right now.

I say we pursue all things officially "Louisiana". We already have the largest official State Flag on the field before the game. Why not trot out the official State Dog as our mascot right along side?

Well the Alligator is the official reptile of the State of Louisiana, so in that regard it is a wash.

ps Florida's State reptile is the Gopher tortoise.

[CajunEXPRESS]

That's great...for them. They ARE the Tigers.

We ARE NOT the Gators.


The bottom line is that all schools that have a group of people for a nickname (Cajuns) either have a physical representation of this group of people for a mascot or have a mascot with historical ties to the school or the state that school represents.

At least Louisiana is the only state that has the Catahoula as the official State Dog, and the history of the breed is fascinating. The breed was developed specifically because they were found to be very good hunters in the Swampy marshland of South Louisiana and for their fearlessness.

It just fits.

Mules & goats are more a part of the Army & Navy than gators & Cajuns. Irish & leprechauns. UNO has a gator for their Privateers. There are no rules.