Which Mascot Was Arkansas’S Original?

The Arkansas Razorbacks, also known as the Hogs, are the intercollegiate athletics teams representing the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. The student body voted to change the name of the school mascot (originally the Cardinals) in 1910 to the Arkansas Razorbacks after a hard decision. The tradition of a live Razorback mascot dates back to the 1960s, with the newest lineage of Razorbacks, named “Tusk”, starting roaming. In the 1920s, a group of farmers used familiar pig-calling sounds to rally the Razorback football team.

The University of Arkansas officially switched its mascot from the Cardinal to the Razorback in 1910, but the iconic “Woo Pig Sooie” cheer did not get its start. Tusk is the current live mascot for the Razorbacks, and all Tusks so far have been male. The Razorbacks were originally founded under the name First District Agricultural School in 1911, with their first mascot being the Farmers.

The Razorback, characterized by a ridge back and its tenacious, wild fighting ability, immediately became a popular nickname. The tradition began with Tusk I when Keith Stokes, then president of the Arkansas Pork Producers Association, was asked by Razorback to adopt the name. Of all the colleges and universities in America, the University of Arkansas is the only one that has a Razorback as its mascot.