Louisiana State University traditions

Louisiana State University is the flagship university of the state of Louisiana, United States. This article describes the traditions of the university.

LSU's men's and women's sports teams are called the Fighting Tigers, Tigers or Lady Tigers. LSU first adopted its "Tigers" nickname in the fall of 1896 after an undefeated football season. "Tigers" seemed a logical choice since most collegiate teams in that year bore the names of ferocious animals, but the underlying reason why LSU chose 'Tigers' dates back to the Civil War. The moniker is a reference to the state's Civil War heritage; all Louisiana troops of Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia became known as the Tigers during the Civil War in recognition of the bravery of two New Orleans brigades, the Tiger Rifles and the Washington Artillery (whose logo featured a snarling tiger's head). 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'.

It was the 1955 LSU 'fourth-quarter ball club' that helped the moniker 'Tigers' grow into the nickname, 'Fighting Tigers'.

Mike the Tiger is the official mascot of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and serves as the graphic image of LSU athletics. Mike is the name of both the live and costumed mascots. He is named after Mike Chambers who served as LSU's athletic trainer when the first mascot was purchased in 1936.

...
Wikipedia