Mississippi State University introduced its new mascot last Wednesday; he will make his debut during the 2023 Super Bulldog Weekend by running onto the field at Davis Wade Stadium during halftime, according to a statement released by the university.
Super Bulldog Weekend is an annual spring homecoming celebration and features baseball games and a football scrimmage, as well as a music festival and an arts festival.
This year, the event will take place from April 14-16 and feature a Brett Eldredge concert.
MSU has had a live English Bulldog mascot since 1935, and they are continuing the tradition with Bully XXII, who is named “Dak” after NFL Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott, who used to attended MSU and played football for them from 2011-2015.
Bully XXI, “Jak,” will be handing down his legacy during halftime of the Spring Game, where he will pass down his harness to “Dak.” The new mascot was born in March of 2021, making him two years old.
“Dak” will continue to live with his owners in Meridian, MS, Julie and Bruce Martin, but will return to campus frequently for events. “Jak” will live out his retirement at the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine, according to the statement.
The Martins are happy to share “Dak” with the MSU community, as Bruce Martin told the university, “We likewise want him to have some quiet time to rest and spend time with us…We are committed to giving ‘Dak’ a balanced, happy life – and for him to enjoy his time as Bully.”
MSU started searching for “Jak’s” replacement in 2021 when “Dak” was born, and they chose “Dak,” who was the runt of his litter.
There are several Texas universities that also use live mascots, such as UT-Austin’s Texan Longhorn Steer, Baylor’s bear mascots, and Texas A&M’s dog mascot, Reveille.
PETA has been very vocal about its desire to end the use of live mascots, especially those schools that use more exotic animals or larger animals, such as Baylor or Louisiana State University, which has used live tiger mascots. There is “no reason to subject a real animal to the stress of being a school mascot,” stated the organization on its website.
