Gonzaga's Mascot Through the Ages
The History of Spike
Before the Bulldog
From the "Jesuits" to the "Blue and White"
Despite Spike the Bulldog’s notoriety, Gonzaga’s beloved mascot has a lengthy and relatively unknown history. In fact, the mascot hasn’t always featured a bulldog! In the early 1900s, Gonzaga’s sports teams were known as the Jesuits, or the Blue and White, representing both the university’s values and school colors. In 1911, Gonzaga’s football team was known as the Fighting Irish. Why? Because the team was mostly comprised of Irish Catholic players. Then in April of 1921, Teddy Gonzaga, a Boston Bull Terrier, was introduced and the rest is history!
Follow along for more features on the history of Gonzaga’s beloved pal.
Captain Zag and Other Mascots
A series of canines represented Gonzaga during the late 1920s through to the 1950s.
At the end of the 1970s, the last true Bulldog “Chesty” retired. In 1980, Gonzaga student Michael Griffin, donned a cape and titled himself “Captain Zag”. This represented a new era of Gonzaga mascots.
FIGHT SONG
Bing Crosby enrolled at Gonzaga University in 1921 and was an active participant in music and athletics. While Crosby left Gonzaga before earning his law degree, he helped to introduce Gonzaga’s first fight song titled “Bulldogs of Gonzaga” in 1937.
Click the link below to listen to the current fight song.
Introducing...Spike!
In 1985, Lee Mauney, a student from Hatchie Bottom, Mississippi, introduced the Gonzaga crowd to the first costumed bulldog mascot, Spike. Spike was named by Craig Evans, a 6-year-old son of the assistant basketball coach Bill Evans. The first Spike costume was a $500 mail order. Later versions of the suit didn't fit on the head, so the person wearing it had to wear a baseball helmet with a chin strap underneath it just to keep it in place. Since then, Spike has become synonymous with Gonzaga Athletics and makes regular appearances at Gonzaga Men's & Women's Basketball, Volleyball, Men's & Women's Soccer, and Baseball games.
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BULLDOG STATUE
In 2007, the Bulldog State, officially titled “It’s Our House,” was installed in front of McCarthy Athletic Center. Standing at 5 feet tall, the bronze casted statue was a gift from the class of 2006 and was created by Vincent De Felice, a local Spokane artist.
The bulldog has a collar attached to a broken chain on its neck, with the other part of the chain attached to McCarthy, a few feet away. The artist stated that this demonstrates the independence of a bulldog, as well as its loyal and protective tendencies to stand guard in front of Gonzaga.
The bulldog has become an iconic spot on Gonzaga’s campus where prospective students, graduating seniors, sports fans, and alumni alike stop to take photos with Gonzaga’s loyal mascot.
For those wanting a bulldog statue memento, a limited edition bobblehead is coming to the Zag Shop and is available for preorder online. Click the link below to learn more!
Photos With Spike
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