In keeping with theme of profiling schools whose shirt I already have, this week’s mascot is the University of Connecticut Husky. It’s my hypothesis that the husky or the bulldog will turn out to be the most common canine mascot, so I wanted to get one of those profiled early on. According to UConn’s spirit site, the UConn Husky, named Jonathan, gets its name from the Revolutionary War-era governor of Connecticut, Jonathan Trumbull. Students voted for the adoption of the Husky as the school mascot in 1934 and his name was decided in a contest.
The UConn Husky costumed mascot makes appearances at sporting events and has appeared in ESPN commercials. It was introduced in 1964. A photo of the mascot can be found here and here.
Unlike last week’s school, UConn actually has a live Husky that attends its sporting events and can make appearances at events. Jonathan XIII is an almost 3-year-old Siberian Husky and is the latest in a line that goes back to 1935. A history of the Jonathans can be found here. Jonathan XIII is cared for by the Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity, which has cared for the University’s mascots since the 1970s. An image of Jonathan XIII lying on the football field can be found here. There is also a scupture of Jonathan on the UConn campus.
UConn competes in the Big East conference where it is joined by the Georgetown Hoyas (Bulldogs), and its women’s hockey team competes in the Hockey East conference against the Northeastern Huskies and the BU Terriers.
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