La Crosse, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse Intercollegiate Athletic Department announced a new identity for the Eagles mascot at its football home opener versus UW-Platteville October 6: Stryker.  The name was the result of a naming contest in September featuring student nominations and an online fan poll.  Stryker joins the UW-L family after Colbert, the university's mascot since 2008, announced his retirement.

“We want to thank Colbert for his years of service to our university,” says Director of Athletics Josh Whitman.  “But as we looked at ways to build the brand of UW-L Athletics, it became clear to us that we wanted a mascot more in line with the iconic figures seen around the world of college sports – Bucky Badger, Brutus the Buckeye, Michigan State's Sparty.  Our hope is that Stryker can become a similar rallying point for the UW-L faithful and will patrol the sidelines for generations to come.”

Stryker's introduction is part of the athletic program's efforts to increase the mascot's visibility on campus and in the local community.  “We want Stryker to help generate greater interest in UW-L Athletics,” says External Relations Coordinator Kate Burke, who directs UW-L's marketing and promotions efforts.  “Our students will see him more frequently on campus, and we will be making him more readily available to attend private functions like birthday parties and corporate events.

“Stryker is a friend and ally to UW-L friends the world over,” adds Burke.  “He is great with kids and gets particularly excited when he is around UW-L's students.  Make no mistake, however: he strikes fear in the heart of every UW-L opponent.”

A secret group of four students, selected after a rigorous try-out process at the beginning of the fall semester, will perform as Stryker at dozens of events over the course of the year.  People interested in having Stryker appear at campus or private events can visit Stryker's home page on the athletic program's website, www.uwlathletics.com, for more information.

UW-L's athletic teams sport a contemporary Eagle in the L and caricature created in 1989, right before the fall sports teams took to the field as the Eagles for the first time.  Dave Christianson, a 1973 art major graduate, penned the images after the UW-L men's teams took the Eagles moniker.  Both the Eagle in the L and the eagle caricature were unveiled in a ceremony at Veterans Memorial Stadium in August 1989.  Women's teams started sporting the Eagles moniker in November 1990.

Students named the UW-L Eagle mascot Colbert in a vote during the 2008-09 school year.