The search continues in Baton Rouge for the next Mike the Tiger, as the plan to have Mike VII in place for the upcoming football season is still in place. The previous live tiger mascot, Mike VI, passed away in October after being diagnosed with spindle cell sarcoma.

According to LSU athletic director Joe Alleva, the next LSU live mascot should be arriving along with the entirety of the team’s upcoming freshman class this summer. LSU has previously stated that Mike VII will not visit Tiger Stadium for gamedays and will instead stay in his tiger habitat during the fall. Fans attending games are still encouraged to stop by and see Mike during their trips to campus but he won’t be following them into Tiger Stadium this season or in the future.

LSU’s tradition of Mike the Tiger started in 1936 with the original Mike. The original Mike not only attended home games in Tiger Stadium, he would often travel with the team on the road to terrorize opposing fans.