1943 Louisiana Mascot

[Turbine]

1943-44 UL mascot
Willoughby

UL's mascot from 1921 on (at least on paper) was the Bulldog, but until 1943 and Willoughby, they had never had a live mascot.

[KimoSC]

You can make your mascot anything you want, and it'll work as long as people like it. At my school, the original mascot was a stray dog that hung around campus, and was the mascot for years until it was run over by a car (seriously!). Later we adopted a white horse as the mascot, not because of any correlation to a "Trojan horse," but because he looked cool. (If you recall the story, the trojan horse was the thing that led to the Trojans getting their asses kicked once and for all!)

I think you guys could easily go back to the bulldog. It'd work as either a real animal or or a suited cartoon cheerleader. And it has historical relevance at the school - the tradition is buit in. Old-timers would like it, kids would love it.

The catahoula is a good idea, too, if you're going for uniqueness. But one thing you don't hhave to worry about is being original, no matter what the mascot looks like. There are plenty off Tigers, Wildcats and Cougars around, but there's not going to be another Ragin' Cajuns.

[Turbine]

Originally posted by KimoSC
You can make your mascot anything you want, and it'll work as long as people like it. At my school, the original mascot was a stray dog that hung around campus, and was the mascot for years until it was run over by a car (seriously!).

Hey something else UL and USC have in common. In 1943 UL did the same thing with a stray dog the students named Willoughby

[KimoSC]

Originally posted by Turbine
Hey something else UL and USC have in common. In 1943 UL did the same thing with a stray dog the students named Willoughby

Excellent! Ours was called George Tirebiter, and true to his name, he died as he lived.
Tirebiter

It's hard to predict what people are gonnna embrace, but whatever they like is what's gonna be the best mascot.

[barisaxman]

Turb-- my $.02 worth: the Auburn Tigers have an eagle; the Saint's have a Saint Bernard; why can't the Ragin Cajuns have a bulldog or Catahoula Hound on the sideline. We could even name the mascot "Ragin"

[Turbine]

Turb-- my $.02 worth: the Auburn Tigers have an eagle; the Saint's have a Saint Bernard; why can't the Ragin Cajuns have a bulldog or Catahoula Hound on the sideline. We could even name the mascot "Ragin"

"War Eagle" is Auburn's fight song so it fits.

Saint Bernard's are among the most identifiable dogs anywhere, and they definitely fit the "Saint" brand name.

English Bulldogs are high maintenance and UL experienced failure after failure trying to keep them healthy and alive.

Leopard dogs are also high maintenance but its not for physical health, its for their mental health, they require constant engagement. They are virtually unidentifiable in that their looks vary from litter to litter. Mutt like in that regard. However that would fit with the mutt status of UL's first live animal Willoughby.

[Cajun_RH]

"War Eagle" is Auburn's fight song so it fits.

Saint Bernard's are among the most identifiable dogs anywhere, and they definitely fit the "Saint" brand name.

English Bulldogs are high maintenance and UL experienced failure after failure trying to keep them healthy and alive.

Leopard dogs are also high maintenance but its not for physical health, its for their mental health, they require constant engagement. They are virtually unidentifiable in that their looks vary from litter to litter. Mutt like in that regard. However that would fit with the mutt status of UL's first live animal Willoughby.

Do we really want a "Leopard" dog as our mascot? What with ESPN already screwing the pooch and calling us the Lafayette Leopards.

[CajunNation]

Do we really want a "Leopard" dog as our mascot? What with ESPN already screwing the pooch and calling us the Lafayette Leopards.

Only person that calls them that name is Turbine trying to muddy the waters.

The breed is Catahoula. There are many varieties of the Catahoula. One of them is the type Turbine keeps referencing. There is a type that is called simply Red. If we were to pick one based on color, we would probably pick a Red, not Turbine's.

I would be fine with any type of Catahoula. I've never seen a blue bulldog or a purple tiger.

[HoustonCajun]

"War Eagle" is Auburn's fight song so it fits.

Saint Bernard's are among the most identifiable dogs anywhere, and they definitely fit the "Saint" brand name.

English Bulldogs are high maintenance and UL experienced failure after failure trying to keep them healthy and alive.

Leopard dogs are also high maintenance but its not for physical health, its for their mental health, they require constant engagement. They are virtually unidentifiable in that their looks vary from litter to litter. Mutt like in that regard. However that would fit with the mutt status of UL's first live animal Willoughby.

Never understood a university with a French culture having an English Bulldog as a mascot. Having a State Dog, Catahoula, as a mascot is OK, but very few people associate the two. Had a chance at the state bird, Pelican, but didn't act on it and Tulane picked it up. Most outsiders to Louisiana relate the state to alligators. An alligator fits not only the state of Louisiana, whose name we now use, but also carries the tradition of the Swamp on-campus where alligators actually live, plus it fits perfectly with our stadium which is also The Swamp. How can that not trump picking up a dog that no one has ever associated with the university, much less athletics? We always talk about a lack of tradition at UL. Well, we have tradition staring us in the face and some refuse to see it.

University - LOUISIANA
Moniker/Nickname - Ragin' Cajuns
Mascot - Gator

In fact, like Texas calls its campus the "40 acres", maybe we should call UL's campus "The Swamp".

[Turbine]

Only person that calls them that name is Turbine trying to muddy the waters.

Not true this is from name neutral (in this case) Wikipedia.

[CameronCajun]

I have been on the Catahoula Train for years. We need to make that happen!

[Turbine]

Interest wise (Nationwide) a campus "Alligator Habitat" will outdraw a Catahoula dog house 10,000 to 1.