UL's First Bulldog Mascot 1921

[Turbine]

The first suggestion of having a mascot worthy of Louisiana (SLI) was in 1921.

This was the year that the University of Louisiana experienced it's first name change. SLII was dropped in favor of SLI, with the only modification being the deletion of the term "Industrial"

The suggestion for a mascot came from the students, and indeed, the students did start calling themselves the "Bulldogs" as early as 1921.

It took two years (1923) before the school offically and unanimously voted to adopt "Bulldogs" as the SLI mascot. The name "Bullpups" was also adopted in 1923 to be used for second teams.

That same year was the first ever published illustration of the SLI Bulldog mascot.This is the picture from 1923 (L'Acadien) shown above.

[OldBullDog]

I doubt that is true the Bulldog goes back to the beginning of the school.

[DaddyCajun]

OldBullDog should know Turbine, both HE and the Bulldog go back to the day the University opened its doors in 1898!!!


We Really do NEED a permanent Mascot, bring back a poll! Bulldog, Bull Gator, Blue Healer Dog, Louisiana Brown Pelican, something?!?!!?!??!?!?!?!

Remember the Pepper is a Spirit Leader NOT a mascot!!

DaddyCajun!!!

[AirBill]

I remember during the late 80s/early 90s when UL went back to the bulldog for a little while, then stopped. I think it'd be great to bring the bulldog back. Remember when the bulldog ran out with the football team during home games? There is precedent for this. Auburn uses both the tiger and the war eagle as their mascot.

Don't get me wrong. I love the Ragin' Cajuns as our official nickname. It is unique, and UL gets tons of free press any time mascots are discussed. But the bulldog is tradition, and I for one would like it back.

[lxa656]

I happened to be in on the meeting discussing the mascot situation, and the reason we stopped using the bulldog is because they kept dying! An English Bulldog is not meant for this kind of weather and good ole Ray stated that he was tired of having to buy a new one every 4 years and were just too expensive to keep up!

[Turbine]

I doubt that is true the Bulldog goes back to the beginning of the school.

The old Bulldog certainly predates anyone born after 1921. However for the first 20+ years of UL history the school survived without a mascot. Spirit leaders were the order of the day.

Even with the history of the Bulldog going back to 1921, when it came to using its picture in school publications, for some reason it was only used sporadically. Early on it was mostly used in sketches.

[CajunSaint]

i still say bring back the bulldog as our mascot, not our nickname, just our mascot. incorporate it into our logo. have a naming contest for the bulldog. create some interest by bringing our past back and merging it with our future.

[ulforlife]

_ i still say bring back the bulldog as our mascot, not our nickname, just our mascot. incorporate it into our logo. have a naming contest for the bulldog. create some interest by bringing our past back and merging it with our future. _

good idea, we need input from people of acadiana. we need to get people interested in ul sports again

[HoustonCajun]

_ good idea, we need input from people of acadiana. we need to get people interested in ul sports again _

Having an English Bulldog for a French university made no sense to me. Let's keep it buried. IMO, we need to either adopt the Pelican (state bird), CatahoULa (state dog), or Alligator (campus swamp and Gator Cove) as a mascot to go along with Ragin Cajuns. I believe the Fleur de Lis is already a part of the university seal and official university markings. Since the athletic department is using Louisiana more and more on the field turf, uniforms and media releases, it is time to remove the " 's " and use just Louisiana Ragin Cajuns for athletics. Academically, the university can use its official name as other universities do.

[CajunProud]

We are the "Ragin Cajuns". The only mascot that goes with that name is a cajun man. Although I love the Bull Gator, we are only exchanging one disconnect for another. We need to get rid of the pepper and the hot wheels logo and just be "Ragin Cajuns". Otherwise, change the name to Louisiana's Bull Gators (or whatever else you want).

It is Ragin Cajuns period. Enough, end of story. Any other mascot just creates more confusion. We also need to get rid of black and yellow on any uniform as the school colors are Vermillion and White.

[CajunFun]

i still say bring back the bulldog as our mascot, not our nickname, just our mascot. incorporate it into our logo. have a naming contest for the bulldog. create some interest by bringing our past back and merging it with our future.

What is the tie between an English bulldog, and the Cajuns?

What is the tie to Louisiana?

The bulldog is Yale's mascot, and from there, Georgia's, and from there, Tech's. It's derivative. We picked it back when we were not yet proud of our own heritage.

To me, the bulldog represents that earlier embarrassment of the Cajun Culture, and the idea that people elsewhere are better, and smarter, and more important, than we are.

JMHO.

__________________________

Schools that use the bulldog for a mascot:

Adrian College
Alabama A & M
Barat College
Barton College
Bowie State
Bristol College
Butler
The Citadel
Concordia College
Cumberland
Drake
Fresno State
Gardner-Webb
Georgetown
Georgia
Gonzaga
Jarvis Christian
Knoxville College
Louisiana Tech
McPherson College
Minnesta-Duluth
Mississippi State
North Carolina-Asheville
Samford
South Carolina State
Southwestern Oklahoma State
Springfield of Illinois
Tennessee Wesleyan
Texas Lutheran
Tougaloo
Union College
Union University
Western Montana
Wingate
Yale