LSU’s live Tiger mascot may be making a comeback tour in Death Valley

Mike the Tiger VII, the live tiger mascot of LSU, enjoys a $3 million state of the art habitat that is visited by thousands of LSU game day patrons.

A great way to get the LSU fans fired up on game day in years past was to have Mike the Tiger placed inside a trailer, with the LSU cheerleaders on top of the trailer as it made its way around the inside perimeter of Tiger Stadium prior to kickoff. The trailer was then parked outside the tunnel near the opposing team’s locker room.

LSU ended that tradition in 2016. Mike the Tiger VII has never been inside Death Valley.

Now, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry wants that tradition reestablished on game day. Landry’s idea has been met with mixed reaction by LSU students.

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has asked Governor Landry to rethink bringing Mike back inside Tiger Stadium . The LSU Vet School, Mike’s caretakers, have no plans to honor Landry’s request.

At a gathering of the media on Thursday, LSU coach Brian Kelly spoke about the idea of bringing Mike the Tiger back inside Tiger Stadium,

“I heard about it all on Twitter. I don’t have any comments obviously on that," Kelly said. "That is something I’ll let our university and those that are much more educated on that come up with a statement and make decisions on that. That is something I just don’t have enough information on.”

LSU celebrates 100 years of Tiger Stadium on Saturday as Nicholls State comes to town.