From football games to meet and greets, March Madness to charity outreach, Mike the Tiger is the face of LSU. Wearing a characteristic plastic-felt Tiger costume, the mascot does it all: he hypes up crowds, dances with cheerleaders and pokes fun at opposing teams. But behind Mike’s loveable persona lies a team of LSU students that make the fictitious tiger pop.
According to their official web page, Team Mike “is the group of students formed to take care of Mike and his busy schedule. As Mike is present at so many events annually, Team Mike consists of well-rounded students that are outgoing who can dedicate a large portion of their time and commit to an entire year of FUN!”
As the spring semester comes to a close, Team Mike is looking for non-graduating LSU students to play Mike the Tiger for the next academic year. But what does it take to be Mike?
Landon Terro, a sports administration junior and the 2025-2026 Team Mike captain, outlines an ideal Mike candidate as someone energetic yet capable.
“We’re looking for someone fun, charismatic and entertaining — but also responsible,” he said. “It’s a big-time responsibility because you’re representing an institution and a brand.”
While Mike the Tiger himself is a lighthearted, whimsical character, Terro insists that playing Mike is both mentally and physically demanding.
That playing the mascot requires substantial physical conditioning may seem obvious: one needs only to go to an LSU football game to appreciate how much Mike jumps, runs and gallivants in a single game.
But perhaps an underappreciated component of playing Mike the Tiger is the extent to which the mascot is forced to think on his feet — or, more accurately, his paws.
“We’re looking for how quickly you can pick things up,” Terro explained. “Yeah, you might have a set schedule, but everything is improv and off-the-cuff. You’ve got to be quick on the up-take.”
As the soon-to-be Team Mike captain, Terro also expressed a desire to take Mike the Tiger to the next level in the upcoming year.
He explained he hoped for Mike to make an appearance at Universal Cheerleaders Association’s College Nationals in January to compete for the Division 1A Mascot national championship. Last year, Auburn’s mascot, Aubie the Tiger, walked away with the title for the 11th time in Auburn history.
While Terro dutifully noted that “mascots support other mascots,” he is optimistic that Mike can beat Aubie at next year’s nationals.
“There’s no reason that can’t be Mike,” he said. “We’re looking for people with fresh ideas to help grow the brand, cement the team’s legacy and — hopefully — take the mat at nationals.”
But even more important for Terro is that the next generation of Mikes takes on the role with gusto.
“A mediocre experience is a bad experience, and a bad experience isn’t even in the question,” he explained. “You never know when it’s someone’s first time meeting Mike. Our goal is to put a smile on people’s faces.”
Thinking you might fit the bill? Email LSU Head Cheer Coach and Team Mike Director Maddie Parten at [email protected] for the link to an interest meeting held via Zoom on April 9, 2025. Official tryouts will be held on April 12 and 13, 2025.
