Louisiana State University is the flagship university of the state of Louisiana, United States. This article describes the traditions of the university.

Nickname LSU's men's and women's sports teams are called the Fighting Tigers, Tigers or Lady Tigers.

During its first three sports seasons, LSU played without a nickname. For the inaugural LSU–Tulane football game in 1893, the New Orleans newspapers referred to the LSU football team as the Baton Rouge "boys", but that was not an official nickname. At the start of the 1896 football season, the football team had its first nickname and was referred to as the "Pelicans". A former football player on the 1896 team said in a 1929 interview in the New Orleans Item-Tribune that the team was known as the "Pelicans" and had a Pelican insignia sewn on their jackets.

During the same fall 1896 football season, LSU first adopted its "Tigers" nickname during an undefeated football season. David F. Boyd, president of LSU, tagged the football team as the "Tigers". The school's nickname seemed like a logical choice since most collegiate teams in that year bore the names of ferocious animals and "Tigers" also referred to the Tiger Rifles. Additionally, the "Tigers" nickname has a long history in Louisiana military history. In the Mexican–American War, four different volunteer units used the nickname. One of these volunteer units was the Washington Artillery. It is a militia unit that traces its history to 1838 and has a logo that features a snarling tiger's head. The tiger symbol used by LSU came from the Washington Artillery logo. In 1955, it was head football coach Paul Dietzel and the LSU 'fourth-quarter ball club' that helped the moniker "Tigers" grow into the nickname, "Fighting Tigers".

Mascot

Drum In 1896, LSU had its first mascot. It was a greyhound named Drum. The greyhound was the pet of the LSU Commandant of Cadets, Lieutenant Charles C. Gallup.

Mike the Tiger

Mike the Tiger is the official mascot of Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and serves as the graphic image of LSU athletics. Mike is the name of both the live and costumed mascots. He is named after Mike Chambers who served as LSU's athletic trainer when the first mascot was purchased in 1936.

According to folklore, LSU will score a touchdown for every one of Mike's roars on game day. Many students seek to take a picture with Mike on graduation day wearing cap and gown. After a new search for a mascot is announced, the public eagerly anticipates white smoke blowing from the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine, announcing that the new tiger has been located, mimicking the white smoke which billows from the Sistine Chapel when a new Pope is elected.

Mike the Tiger Habitat

In 2005, a new $3 million habitat was created for Mike. The Tiger Athletic Foundation (TAF) raised funds, entirely from private sources, to subsidize the construction project. The habitat (situated between Tiger Stadium and the Pete Maravich Assembly Center) features state-of-the-art technologies and includes among its amenities lush plantings, a waterfall, a flowing stream that empties into a wading pond, and rocky plateaus. The new habitat ranks among the largest and finest Tiger preserves in the country and expanded Mike's home from 2,000 to . It also features research, conservation, and husbandry programs, as well as educational, interpretive, and recreational activities.

School colors LSU's official colors are Royal Purple and Old Gold. This is LSU's second choice of colors with the first official school colors being blue and white.

The first association of LSU with the Royal Purple and Old Gold colors was in 1883 when the LSU Corps of Cadets was presented a flag by a ladies' organization in Baton Rouge. The flag bore the image of a pelican and the state coat of arms and it was reported that the flag was made of purple silk fringed with gold.

There is some discrepancy in the origin of LSU's current colors officially becoming Royal Purple and Old Gold. It is believed that purple and gold were first worn to officially represent the university by an LSU team on May 13, 1893 when the LSU baseball squad beat Tulane in the first intercollegiate contest played in any sport by Louisiana State University. Team captain E. B. Young reportedly hand-picked those colors for the LSU squad.

In another story, Ruffin G. Pleasant, LSU quarterback, future band director and future Louisiana governor, along with football coach Dr. Charles E. Coates changed LSU's official school colors. Later in 1893 after the first baseball game was played, the first football game in LSU history was played. On November 25, 1893, football coach/chemistry professor Dr. Charles E. Coates and some of his players went and purchased ribbon to adorn their gray jerseys as they prepared to play the first LSU football game. Stores were stocking ribbons in the colors of Mardi Gras—purple, gold and green—for the upcoming Carnival season. However, none of the green had yet arrived at Reymond's Store at the corner of Third and Main streets in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Coates and quarterback Ruffin Pleasant bought all of the purple and gold stock and made it into rosettes and badges. Additionally, it was reported by the New Orleans Times-Democrat that "all the young ladies are preparing purple and old gold streamers for the occasion."

LSU's original school colors were white and blue chosen by LSU President David F. Boyd.

Louisiana State University Tiger Marching Band

The Louisiana State University Tiger Marching Band (also called The Golden Band from Tigerland or simply the Tiger Band) is a 325-member marching band which performs at all LSU football home games, all bowl games, and select away games and represents the University at other functions as one of its most recognizable student and spirit organizations.

The LSU Tiger Band began as a military band in 1893, organized by two students: Wylie M. Barrow and Ruffin G. Pleasant. The band remained a military cadet band until the end of World War II when the band department became a part of the School of Music.

Victory Hill The LSU Tiger Marching Band or The Golden Band from Tigerland, Golden Girls and Colorguard, "March Down Victory Hill" about an hour prior to each home game. Fans line both sides of the road and listen for the cadence of drums announcing the band's departure from the Greek Theatre and await the arrival of the band. The band stops on top of Victory Hill and begins to play their drum cadence while beginning to "March Down Victory Hill". The band then stops on Victory Hill and begins to play the opening strains of the "Pregame Salute." Then, while playing the introduction to "Touchdown for LSU," the band begins to run in tempo through the streets and down the hill amidst the crowd of cheering fans.

Pregame Show One of the most celebrated traditions carried on by the band is its "Pregame Show" performance at each home football game. The performance includes pieces from the band's expansive repertoire of school songs, including "Pregame Salute"/"Touchdown for LSU" arranged in 1964 by director William F. Swor specifically for the band to play during pregame.

The band begins the performance in the south end zone of the stadium and is called to attention by the drum major right before he marches out across the end zone in front of the band. Stopping at the goal line, the drum major wields his mace and uses his whistle to signal the band to take the field. The band marches out of the end zone to the beat of a single bass drum in fronts separated by five-yard intervals. The drum major halts at the 40 yard line on the far end of the field and the band is now spread across the southern half of the field with the color guard at midfield and the southern goal line. The golden girls line up next on the west sideline next to the band. The band stands at attention and awaits the percussion introduction to "Pregame Salute." As the band plays the stirring opening chords of the salute (which are taken from the tune "Tiger Rag"), the band turns to face all four corners of the stadium. The crowd explodes in cheers. Once the band salutes each part of the stadium, the pace of the music and the marching picks up, the music transitions into Long's "Touchdown for LSU," and the band sweeps the field. Toward the end of the song, the band breaks the fronts and spells out "LSU."

In the "LSU" formation, the band plays the "LSU Alma Mater" and the "Star-Spangled Banner" and is directed at the north 47 and a half yard line by the director of bands. (The band then plays "Fight for LSU" as it virtually flips the formation to spell LSU for the fans on the east side of the stadium. Upon arriving in the new formation, the band plays the second half of "Tiger Rag," which culminates in the crowd chanting "T-I-G-E-R-S, TIGERS!' in unison. This is followed the "First Down Cheer," to which the east side of the stadium in unison responds to each of the three refrains with "GEAUX! TIGERS!" and to the final refrain with "LSU!" to the sound of a fast-paced drum cadence, the band returns to the original "LSU" formation facing the west side of the stadium and replays the "First Down Cheer" as the crowd responds. The band immediately breaks into an encore performance of "Touchdown for LSU" as it reforms the original fronts, marches to the north end zone, and then breaks the fronts to form a tunnel through which the football team will enter the field.

Bengal Brass A group of 60 members selected from the ranks of the band constitute the Bengal Brass Basketball Band, often simply referred to as Bengal Brass. This group of all-brass musicians (and percussionist on a trap set) is often split into two squads—purple and gold—and performs at LSU select home volleyball matches, many home gymnastics meets, all home men's basketball, and all home women's basketball games in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Bengal Brass also travels with the men's and women's basketball teams during postseason play.

Songs of LSU

LSU Alma Mater

The "LSU Alma Mater" was written in 1929 by Lloyd Funchess and Harris Downey, two students who developed the original song and music because LSU's first alma mater was sung to the tune of "Far Above Cayuga's Waters" and was used by Cornell University. The band plays the "Alma Mater" during pregame and at the end of each home football game.

"Fight for LSU"

"Fight for LSU" is the University's official fight song and was written by Castro Carazo in the 1940s. The band plays "Fight for LSU" often, most notably when the team enters the field (while the band is in a tunnel formation at the end of its pregame performance), successfully kicks a field goal, scores an extra point, or completes a two-point conversion. Following a halftime performance, the band often exits the field while playing "Fight for LSU."

"Pregame Salute"/"Touchdown for LSU" "Pregame Salute"/"Touchdown for LSU" is often incorrectly considered by fans to be the school's official fight song. The opening chords and melodies of the "Pregame Salute" were derived from "Tiger Rag," a popular jazz tune from 1917, while "Touchdown for LSU," which directly follows the "Pregame Salute" both on the field and in the stands, was written in part by Huey P. Long. This song is played most notably during pregame, during the march down Victory Hill, and at the beginning of the fourth quarter of each football game.

"Hey, Fightin’ Tigers"