Boom! Say hello to Uga XI as UGA X retires as Georgia's beloved Bulldog live mascot
Georgia football is ushering in a new Uga for the 2023 season.
Uga X is retiring after serving as the live English Bulldog mascot on the sidelines since the 2015 season including national championship seasons the last two years.
Meet “Boom” who becomes Uga XI, the latest in a line of mascots started by the Seiler family in 1956.
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The nine-month old will be introduced Saturday at Georgia’s G-Day spring football game in Sanford Stadium about 10 minutes before the 4 p.m. kickoff with the ceremonial collaring.
That will take place in the 20-yard line of the northeast corner of the stadium.
His predecessor, Que, was two and a half when he started as Uga X and is now approaching 10 years old. The school proclaims him the “winningest mascot,” in school history. Yes, it’s good to be the mascot for a team that is in its new glory days. His record was 91-18 with two SEC titles to go along with the two national titles.
Que didn’t make the cross-country trip to Los Angeles for the national championship game in January because of the stress of such a long journey and missed three other road games last season — at South Carolina due to the heat and night games at Missouri and Mississippi State because they were late.
Nine-month old “Boom” has been training to be Uga with the Seilers in Savannah.
“This young one is a handful," Charles Seiler told the Athens Banner-Herald in January. "He’s eaten every toy that we’ve presented, and I came home today and he’d eaten a hole right in the middle of his blanket. We’re working on him to kind of calm down a little bit."
The Seilers also considered “Mac” who is nearing 2 years old to succeed Que.
UGA IX retired at the end of the 2014 season and Que, his grandson, served a three-month “audition” before having a collaring ceremony before the Georgia Southern game on Nov. 21, 2015.
There will be plenty of chances for fans to see UGA XI right away this season.
Georgia is home for four straight home games to start the season in September.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia football to have new Uga mascot for the 2023 season named Boom
