About the Bulldog
Yale University's mascot is the bulldog. A mascot is an animal or historical figure used to represent a college or university and its sports teams. When the Yale sports teams (nicknamed the Bulldogs) compete, they are often cheered on by an actual bulldog named Handsome Dan.
The Handsome Dan tradition dates back to 1889, when a student purchased a bulldog for $5 and began leading him across the field at football and baseball games. There have been 17 Handsome Dans since then.
Read about the current Handsome Dan, his predecessors, and other Yale traditions on the Yale Athletics Web site.