Comments on: What’s a Ute? How 22 Tourney-Bound Schools Got Their Nicknames

By: David

David — Mon, 23 Mar 2009 11:26:00 +0000

LSU is another school whose mascot originally derives from the Civil War. This is from The Official Web Site of LSU Tigers Athletics:

“According to Arthur W. Bergeron, Jr., PhD. and the “Guide to Louisiana Confederate Military Units, 1861-1865″ (LSU Press, 1989), the name Louisiana Tigers evolved from a volunteer company nicknamed the Tiger Rifles, which was organized in New Orleans. This company became a part of a battalion commanded by Major Chatham Roberdeau Wheat and was the only company of that battalion to wear the colorful Zouave uniform. In time, Wheat’s entire battalion was called the Tigers.

That nickname in time was applied to all of the Louisiana troops of Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. The tiger symbol came from the famous Washington Artillery of New Orleans. A militia unit that traces its history back to the 1830s, the Washington Artillery had a logo that featured a snarling tiger’s head. These two units first gained fame at the Battle of First Manassas on July 21, 1861. Major David French Boyd, first president of LSU after the war, had fought with the Louisiana troops in Virginia and knew the reputation of both the Tiger Rifles and Washington Artillery.

Thus when LSU football teams entered the gridiron battlefields in their fourth year of intercollegiate competition, they tagged themselves as the “Tigers.”"

By: jplanet

jplanet — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 18:25:00 +0000

Josh:

I would assume that Wichita St. is called the Shockers b/c the mascot is a shock of wheat. At least you’re not the Wheaties!

By: Pchop316

Pchop316 — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:22:00 +0000

UNC- North Carolina was the last state to secede and had to be “dragged” into the confederacy. They were seen as stubborn by other confederate states, hence the mascot, Ramses (a large Ram). Have you ever tried to drag a ram anywhere? (Side note, though UNC was the last to join the confederacy, they suffered the most casualties of any confederate state).

Tennessee Volunteers- Another Civi-war era nickname. Tennessee was readmitted into the Union under President Johnson (a Tennessee native) before military reconstrucion began, because of the state’s willingness to ratify the 14th amendment.

By: Michael

Michael — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:30:00 +0000

This is high school, not college, but Loyola College Prep’s (formerly St. Johns HS and then Jesuit HS before becoming Loyola in 1982 or 83) in Shreveport, LA is nicknamed the Flyers. The mascot is Snoopy (special permission from THE Charles Schultz;only school or institution to have such permission), specifically Snoopy as the Red Baron. Therefore, the nickname the Flyers.

By: tim

tim — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:19:00 +0000

siena used to be called the siena indians, but of course they changed it.

By: andy

andy — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:57:00 +0000

I remember reading that the Illinois State University Redbirds (my alma mater) was originally called the ISU Cardinals (which is Illinois’ state bird). but it was later changed to the Redbirds after a newspaper reported started to use Redbirds as a nickname for the team. i guess the name became so popular that it eventually replaced the cardinal altogether.

By: Andy

Andy — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:18:00 +0000

i love how Tulsa is the “Golden Hurricane”…as in only one. That is always a good one to pull out of the hat when challenging someone to name teams nicknames that don’t end in “s”

By: Josh

Josh — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 10:42:00 +0000

What about Wichita State…the Shockers?

By: brittany

brittany — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 23:43:00 +0000

I go to a small college in the Southern Appalachians, and our mascot is a tornado. Seriously? In the mountains? We have white squirrels here, not tornadoes!

By: Scott

Scott — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 21:04:00 +0000

How about the Hokies? Come on. What is a hokie?