Why is Campbell called the Fighting Camels? And what is Campbell University's mascot?
Campbell baseball faces the top-ranked Tennessee Vols in the Knoxville Regional winner's bracket on Saturday in the NCAA Baseball Tournament.
Campbell is based in Buies Creek, North Carolina, a town with an estimated population of about 3,300 people. Campbell's athletics programs play predominately in the Big South. Campbell's alumni includes Cy Young Award winners Gaylord and Jim Perry along with current Orioles outfielder Cedric Mullins.
Campbell's nickname? The Fighting Camels. (Campbell's women's teams are nicknamed the Lady Camels.)
LIVE UPDATES: Tennessee baseball vs. Campbell in 2022 NCAA Tournament: Live score updates
TV INFO: How to watch Tennessee Vols vs. Campbell baseball on TV, live stream in Knoxville Regional
Why is Campbell called the Fighting Camels?
In the 1800s, Campbell's athletics teams were called the Hornets.
The switch to the Camels, according to the university's website, occurred in 1934. The origin of that name is unclear, with the prevailing theory (at least by Campbell University) that a student told school founder J.A. Campbell "I thought Campbells had hump on them" during a campus fire.
The founder misinterpreted that the student called him a camel instead of a Campbell, and the nickname apparently stuck.
Campbell's Gaylord the Camel mascot
According to the university's website, Gaylord has been appearing at Campbell athletics games since 1934.
The school does not give a clear reason as to how Gaylord got his name. It's a quality mascot name nevertheless.
𝓜𝓮𝓻𝓻𝔂 𝓒𝓱𝓻𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓶𝓪𝓼 from the Fighting 🐪 pic.twitter.com/GmpnTxR2G5
— Campbell Athletics (@GoCamels) December 25, 2021
'Tis the season for 🎄 in the Creek#RollHumps pic.twitter.com/yM3F6VPoli
— Campbell Athletics (@GoCamels) December 24, 2021
Campbell's Gladys mascot
Gladys featured alongside Gaylord for a time but disappeared from 1993 until 2019, according to the university.
The shorter of the two mascots returned three years ago as a less-menacing alternative to the 6-foot-tall Gaylord.
"Gladys and Gaylord are just friends," the university's website points out.
𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙡𝙪𝙘𝙠 to @GoCamelsSwim at the #CCSAChamps this week!🏊♀️🏆 https://t.co/02vPf8SfSz pic.twitter.com/CJdroNIDnQ
— Campbell Athletics (@GoCamels) February 16, 2022
𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮
𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮
𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐫 @GladystheCamel
𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮!#RollHumps 🥳🐪 pic.twitter.com/XygBHQhdlC— Campbell Athletics (@GoCamels) January 26, 2022
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Why is Campbell called the Fighting Camels? What is Campbell's mascot?
