Butler
The football team at Butler (formerly Northwestern Christian College) used to be known as the Christians. Its bulldog mascot dates from about 1920, when the college newspaper published a cartoon promoting an upcoming football game with the Franklin College Baptists. Inspired by a campus fraternity's bulldog mascot, the editors depicted a bulldog taking a bite out of the pants seat of a character labeled "John the Baptist." The caption--"Bring on That Platter, Salome"-- was a biblical reference to Salome asking for John the Baptist's head. The newspaper started calling the team Bulldogs, and the name stuck.
Drake
In its early days, Drake didn't have an official nickname. Duck references were common in the late 1800's (a drake is a male duck). One early cheer was:
Quack, Quack, Quack!
Boom, Boom, Boom,
D-R-A-K-E, Drake!
Mercifully, the Des Moines Register and Leader convinced fans to adopt Bulldogs as the team nickname.
John L. Griffith, founder of the Drake Relays and the first Commissioner of the Big Ten, was Drake's football coach from 1908 to 1915. Griffith's two dogs, which were brought to practices and games, gave a Register sportswriter the idea for the Bulldog nickname.
At least one of the dogs was probably a Boxer (see picture). It bears little resemblance to the dumpy, slack-jowled creatures displayed at Drake's annual "Beautiful Bulldog Contest."
Davidson
The Davidson Wildcats also trace their nickname's origin to football. "Wildcats" was used following a 1917 win over Auburn. Click here to read more.
Campbell
Click here to read the unlikely story of how the Camel nickname started.
Jacksonville
JU students picked the Dolphin moniker in 1947. The original name was "Green Dolphins," which was later shortened. The school's official mascot is Nellie, a resident of Marineland. Nellie, who turned 55 in 2008, is the world's oldest living Dolphin in captivity.
Bulldog, Boxer, or mutt?
Drake also has a connection to the Pioneer name. The Pioneer Bowl was a regional bowl game for teams in the College Division (precursor to the NCAA's current Division II and Division III). In 1972, Drake played Tennessee State in the Pioneer Bowl.
Other Nicknames & Mascots
Prior to World War II, Valparaiso used an uhlan (German cavalryman) to symbolize its athletic teams. This was a tribute to the Lutheran school's Germanic roots. Anti-German sentiment during the war was probably the reason Valpo now uses the more generic Crusader mascot.
The University of Dayton adopted the Flyer nickname as a nod to the City of Dayton's place in aviation history. Dayton was the home of the Wright brothers.
Morehead State and Jacksonville both selected their nicknames through contests. Morehead State chose "Bald Eagles" in 1926, but later shortened the name.
Strange but true: During a four-year period (1967-1970), Jacksonville, Drake, and Dayton all took men's basketball teams to the Final Four. All were denied the national championship by UCLA.
