Louisiana State University is the flagship university of Louisiana. Located in the state capital of Baton Rouge, it is home to over 30,000 students and a very special mascot.
Just like Texas has Bevo, LSU has Mike the Tiger.
Mike I came to LSU in 1936 and the animal currently found on campus is Mike VII. His habitat is one of the most famous places to visit on campus and includes elements of LSU’s Renaissance architecture as well as facts that educate Mike’s visitors about the living subspecies of tigers.
The LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, Mike the Tiger’s primary caregiver, is ranked in the top third of veterinary schools in the United States and is funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Until 2016, Mike was an important part of home games. His cage on wheels was climbed into by LSU cheerleaders and carried through Tiger Stadium. Before the game began, it was then placed in the opponent’s locker room. Since Mike VI’s death, the mascot has not left his habitat.
The famous LSU shield, “Geaux Tigers,” is derived from a common ending in French Cajun names, honoring the state’s French heritage. The slogan is used to support the 21 varsity sports of the LSU athletic department.
For the past two years, LSU women’s athletes have brought home national championships. Since 1977, the Tiger gymnastics team has won a number of individual national titles, but it wasn’t until 2024 that the program won its first ring as a team.
With a final score of 198.225, the Tigers took the title.
Just a year earlier, it was the women’s basketball team that brought home the trophy. The 2023 final between LSU and Iowa is the sixth most-watched women’s March Madness game with 9.9 million viewers.
The recent successes in the men’s programs are also not to be underestimated.
The LSU baseball team has won the national championship title seven times, the most recent in 2023. Baseball is LSU’s third most successful sport with seven national titles, behind women’s outdoor track and field with 14 and indoor track and field with 11.
The most popular sport in Baton Rouge, however, is college football – and LSU is pretty good at it.
In the 2020 College Football Playoff national championship game, the Tigers defeated Clemson 42-25 to win their first title since 2007. They are four-time national champions and 12-time SEC champions.
The program has a total of 52 national championships to its name and is among the top 20 most successful college sports programs.
