ATHENS, Georgia — After two national championships and eight years, Georgia is ushering in a new era for its English Bulldog mascot: the Uga XI is anointed on Saturday.
Uga X, also known as Que, is retiring as the official mascot. Keough took over the role in 2015 at the age of two and a half and served in the role as the Kirby Smart era began. The Bulldogs went 91-18 during Uga X’s reign.
The new Uga will be Boom, a 10-month-old English bulldog who will be bulldogs, as the school calls it, before Saturday’s G-Day game. The ceremony will take place at approximately 3:50 p.m. ET at the 20-yard line, in the northeast corner of Sanford Stadium.
The Uga line has been maintained by the Seiler family since 1955. The stoic dog has gained popularity over the years, and was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated during the 1990s, when Uga was heralded as the best mascot in college football. Oga also appeared in the movie “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”, which was filmed in Savannah. (And the attorney for Jim Williams, the man accused of murder in the book and movie, was Sonny Seiler.)
Seiler has often told the story of meeting director Clint Eastwood, who knelt down to pat Uga on the head.
“I’m going to make you a celebrity,” said Eastwood.
“Uga is indeed a celebrity, Mr. Eastwood,” replied Seiler.
required reading
(Photo: Courtesy of the University of Georgia)
