As the lights dimmed at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium during halftime of the home game Saturday against the University of South Alabama, a historical announcement was made. After a decade of being without an official mascot, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette unveiled a new face: a yet-to-be-named Catahoula Leopard dog.

As the Pride of Acadiana Marching Band, Drumline, Color Guard and feature twirler wrapped up their halftime performance, University representatives and leaders made their way onto the field.

University President Dr. Ramesh Kolluru and Student Government Association (SGA) President Emily Lamkin led the reveal, standing on each side of a veiled object propped on a stand. After an introductory video played, on a countdown, Kolluru and Lamkin lifted the veil to reveal a framed photo of the seven-week-old Catahoula Leopard puppy.

As the Catahoula was revealed, murmurs could be heard from the crowd of Ragin’ Cajuns fans, with many gushing over the puppy’s endearing appearance. For members of the community who have been long-time supporters of the Cajuns, watching the reveal of a new mascot sparked a reminiscence of previous mascots.

Wayne Olivier from Bonneville, a graduate of UL Lafayette 50 years ago, the University of Southwestern Louisiana at the time, said, “It’s a change, we were the Bulldogs, now we’re gonna be the Catahoula dogs.”

Some crowd members also nodded at the cultural significance of the Catahoula. Phil from Lafayette said, “I think it’s great. You’ve been looking for a new mascot for a number of years, we’ve had several, and this kind of melds in with the culture.”

Native to Louisiana, the Catahoula Leopard dog has been the state’s official dog since 1979, named after Catahoula Parish. The Catahoula dog developed in Louisiana’s swamplands and has long been part of legends in state history.

According to a University press release, “The breed reflects the character and spirit of the place the Ragin’ Cajuns call home.”

Vice President for Student Success Dr. Andy J. Benoit Jr. said, “I think it’s a great day for the University. We, our students, our faculty, our staff, our alumni, have wanted a mascot for years. This gives us an opportunity to represent Louisiana with the state dog, and we’re all excited.”

The puppy was not present at the game, but was instead introduced through a video. According to the press release, “He remains with his breeder for extensive training, including socialization, obedience and acclimation to crowds and loud noises. He will make periodic visits to campus as part of his training.”

The puppy is expected to move to Lafayette in the spring, with plans to appear at a basketball game in January 2027.

Kolluru said, “In a few weeks he’ll join the family of the Ragin’ Cajuns, and I couldn’t be more excited. I want the community to be excited. I want our students to be excited, because pretty soon he’ll be walking on our campus.”

The press release wrote that the puppy “has a striking blue merle coat, with silvery-gray fur splashed with charcoal and black markings.” His face also “features lighter markings above his ‘glass’ eyes, a dark forehead and a soft gray muzzle.”

One of the puppy’s glass-blue eyes was featured as part of teaser campaigns that were launched on Oct. 28, which left the community curious.

The puppy’s name will be left up to public vote from the five possible names selected by the University. The ballot will be open on the website louisiana.edu/mascot through Nov. 17, and the winning name will be revealed at the Nov. 21 home football game against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers.

The shortlisted names are “Beau,” “Louis,” “Rex,” “Roux” and “SLI,” all chosen for reasons such as paying homage to either the southern Louisiana culture or the campus’ heritage.

According to the press release, the new mascot initiative is being led by the Office of Communications and Marketing and the Catahoula Leopard was unanimously selected by a committee representing SGA, alumni, athletics, faculty, community stakeholders and University administration.

As the University’s live mascot, the Catahoula puppy will go on to become an active member of the Ragin’ Cajun community, participating in campus activities, community events and athletics traditions. A costumed mascot is set to debut in the 2027 football season.

Caroline Hutchison, a senior majoring in premedical psychology, said, “He’s adorable, and I think he will really bring together like school spirit… I think it’ll just bring like everyone together and like want to come to the games.”

While the University welcomes a new mascot, teams will still remain the Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns.