College football teams have mascots. Many mascots are dogs. Only a few teams are smart and wonderful enough to have live dogs chilling on the sidelines. These are the best teams.
I decided to rank the 28 college football live dog mascots, but ran into a bit of a problem. Here at SB Nation, we believe all dogs are good dogs. To say some are worse than others would be rude. So I awarded a 28-way tie for first. Please don't tell them that I did list them in the order that I like them.
We think we got every puppy, DI through DIII and then some, but please tell us if we missed one.
Not included are live mascots of schools without football teams; please tell King Husky VIII at Northeastern, Rocky at UNC-Asheville, Tarzàn at the University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez, Gritty at UMBC and Scottie at Agnes Scott that they are good dogs.
Sadly not included are schools yet to replace mascots who've passed away. RIP to Drake's bulldog Porterhouse, Fresno State's Victor E. Bulldog, Samford's bulldog Libby and Southern Illinois' saluki King Tut. They were the best dogs.
Now look at these good dogs!
1a. Reveille VIII, Texas A&M, rough collie
Trey Taormina, USA Today Sports
Very good dog! Reveille is the highest-ranking officer in the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets and the only dog who could send a military force after us if we didn't think she is a good dog. Please tell Miss Rev she is a very good dog.
1b. Blue III ("Trip"), Butler, English bulldog
UPDATE: I AM NOW PICKING BUTLER TO WIN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT pic.twitter.com/kqpPvedBFi
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger_sherman) March 13, 2015
Very good dog! I have met Butler Blue. I have seen him vomit and can confirm how good of a dog he is.
1c. Goldie, Tulsa, golden retriever
What a good dog!
1d. Smokey X, Tennessee, bluetick coonhound
Really good dog! (He also wears hats!)
1e. Pint, UC Davis, Nova Scotia duck tolling retriever
(Thanks to Domenic Noto for giving us a heads up.)
Really good dog! Pint is a retriever, so he retrieves the tees at the football games!
1f. Handsome Dan XVII, Yale, English bulldog
Really good dog!
1g. Jonathan XIV, UConn, Siberian husky
Excellent dog!
1h. Jack ("John B. Carroll"), Georgetown, English bulldog
Very good dog!
1i. Dubs, Washington, Alaskan malamute
Accomplished dog!
1j. Pio ("Buddy"), Lewis and Clark, Newfoundland
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Very good (and huge) dog! (Thanks to LandonTurnerOverdrive.)
1k. Mugzy, Ferris State, bulldog
PUPPY!!!!!
Mugzy was just introduced last week. (Thanks to Brandon Folsom.)
1l. Colonel Rock III ("Rocky"), Western Illinois, English bulldog
Great dog!
1m. Mission, NIU, Siberian husky
Stop everything, Mission (NIU's perfect mascot) is wearing a bow tie! @NIUAthletics @AllerianTrainer @EgyptianTheatre pic.twitter.com/fyQvxK7a1M
— Scott Grodsky (@ScottGrodsky) April 28, 2015
Very good dog! Mission's predecessor, Diesel, was also a very good dog.
1n. Scotty, Carnegie Mellon, Scottish terrier
Really good dog!
1o. Kiza, Houston Baptist, Siberian husky
What a good dog!
1p. Bully XXI ("Jak") Mississippi State, English bulldog
Photo credit: Mark Zerof-USA TODAY Sports
Very good dog! The Bulldogs just passed the harness to a new baby Bully, and OMG
Bully 101: Why Champ is retiring, how Jak was selected and a little Bully history https://t.co/qRXbxWsUXs pic.twitter.com/676JL7TyJe
— Bob Carskadon (@bobcarskadon) April 14, 2015
1q. Tupper, Bryant, English bulldog
I have arrived! Let's get this party started! #GoDawgs #NECPride @BryantHoops pic.twitter.com/JGqxmdh8AJ
— BryantMascot Tupper® (@BryantTuppy) November 20, 2014
Very good dog!
1r. Mo, Moravian, greyhound
The president with out mascot, Mo... Love my school #moravian pic.twitter.com/BUpYMMIuJT
— Lora Hill (@LoraHill7) October 31, 2013
Super-good dog!
1s. Tuffy, NC State, Tamaskan
Happy National Dog Day to Tuffy, live mascot of @PackAthletics. Go Pack! pic.twitter.com/bOP4tHoDjt
— NC State University (@NCState) August 26, 2014
One good dog!
1t. Bruiser, Adrian, English bulldog
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Great dog!
1u. General ("G2") and Boo X, The Citadel, bulldogs
Really good dogs. G2 and Boo have been on the job since 2013. Here they are as puppies kissing General, who died in February:
.@TheCitadelOEA mascot bulldog General has died, Charleston military college says http://t.co/KIE3ThdwGQ #chsnews pic.twitter.com/kjtrV5pBv6
— The Post and Courier (@postandcourier) February 27, 2015
1v. Duke V, James Madison, English bulldog
A good dog!
1w. Thurber, Redlands, English Bulldog
Oh no! #Thurber turned 5 yesterday! AND WE MISSED IT. Happiest of birthdays to our favorite bulldog! #Pleaseforgiveus pic.twitter.com/sdVnGypkOQ
— Redlands W. Soccer (@Redlands_WSOC) September 16, 2014
Good dog!
1x. Vic and Tory, Eastern New Mexico, greyhounds
Really good dogs!
1y. Tech XXI, Louisiana Tech, English bulldog
Love sitting court side at the women's basketball game! #HBTD pic.twitter.com/KVNOsegjCp
— Tech XXI (@Tech_XXI) January 23, 2015
Very good dog!
1z. Blitz III ("Magnolia"), Wofford, Boston terrier
The good news is Wofford has a live Boston Terrier mascot: pic.twitter.com/rs6GVemN5c
— Rodger Sherman (@rodger_sherman) March 10, 2015
Very good dog!
1aa. Barney, Gardner-Webb, bulldog
Hello, good dog!
1bb. Uga IX ("Russ"), Georgia, English bulldog
Dale Zanine, USA TODAY Sports
Damn good dog! I think Uga is a great dog, and -- as noted -- these dogs are all tied for first place, but I am curious to test what sort of reaction we'll get from Georgia people when I put their floppy puppy last.
Photos via schools. GIFs via ESPN.
SB Nation Video Archives: The best dogs in sports (2013)