SPIKE THE BULLDOG
Who is Spike the Bulldog?
Spike
Social Media
We asked Gonzaga students "What does Spike mean to you?"
#gonzagauniversity #zaglife #gonzaga
Throwback Thursday to our mascot Spike from the 80's.
#zagnation #gonzagauniviersity #throwbackthursday
Say hi to Spike next time you see him at an athletics event!
#zaglife #gozags #gonzaga
HISTORY
It wasn’t until more than 30 years after Gonzaga was founded that the bulldog became the school’s mascot.
When Gonzaga first established a football team in 1982, they were called the Blue Whites and later the Fighting Irish. In 1921, a newspaper reporter described the football team as fighting tenaciously like bulldogs, and the name stuck.
The Gonzaga football team had its first live bulldog mascot in 1922. Numerous bulldogs served as mascots over the years, until a student became the first human mascot in 1980, calling himself Captain Zag and dressing in a cape. Captain Zag was short-lived and in 1985, the bulldog once again became Gonzaga’s mascot with a student wearing a bulldog costume who went by the name of Spike.
Today, Spike attends sporting events, as well as other University and community events.
Timeline
1887-1921
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1887 - Gonzaga University was founded.
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1892 - Gonzaga established a football team.
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1892-1921 - Gonzaga’s football team was called the Blue and Whites, the Fighting Irish, and the Jesuits.
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1905 - Gonzaga established a basketball team.
1940s-1950s
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1940s - Gonzaga’s football program was discontinued.
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1948 - Women were first admitted to Gonzaga.
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Late 1950s - Gonzaga established women’s sports.
1921
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1921 - Folklore says Gonzaga became the Bulldogs after a reporter described the football team as fighting tenaciously like bulldogs. However, according to a Spokesman Review article, the associated student body voted on the name in an effort to eliminate unofficial team names.
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1921 - The first live bulldog mascot, named Teddy, appeared. He was poisoned a year later.
1967-1980s
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1967 - Salty, a bulldog who was serving as the mascot, ran onto the court during a basketball game and bit a ref.
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1980 - Gonzaga had its first human mascot called Captain Zag, who wore a cape.
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1980s - The Kennel Club was founded in an effort to get more students to attend games.
1925-1937
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1925 - A live bulldog named Mickey began serving as the mascot. Numerous dogs performed the role of mascot over the years.
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1930s - There was a push to change the school’s mascot to the Emperors. This movement fizzled out.
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1937 - Bing Crosby released the school’s first fight song, with a bulldog on the cover.
1985-Present
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1985 - Gonzaga had its first human bulldog mascot, and the name Spike was adopted.
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1999 - Gonzaga had its last canine mascot, a bulldog named Q, who was given to the school after a successful basketball season.
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2000 - Spike appeared in Nike’s "Welcome to Bracketville" commercials.
Spike's Fan Club
Grab your Spike swag here!
Just four COML students living the dream. We're anxiously awaiting the day we get to meet spike in person.
Annie Wymer, Deborah Acosta, Erin Madison, Sela Kennedy
COML Group 2 | Fall 2022 Session A