During Wednesday’s ULM Mascot Committee meeting, the mascot committee approved hiring Rickabaugh Graphics, a marketing company that will help develop ULM’s identity, including the new mascot. The committee also approved a process for adopting a new mascot by June 1.

Rickabaugh Graphics, an internationally renowned design firm, has impressive credentials, ULM Director of Marketing Kevin Stuart said. They have developed mascots and identities for The Ohio State University, Texas A&M University, Vanderbilt University and University of Connecticut. “I applaud the committee’s choice. They have selected a firm that fits ULM well, that understands our goals and how important it is to the committee to get the process right,” Stuart said.

Ryan Prowell, university services representative for Collegiate Licensing Company (ULM’s licensing agent and a consultant for the mascot process), told the mascot committee his company would encourage the university to choose a mascot that is unique to the region or has a unique story the community can embrace.

On March 1, all of the public mascot suggestions submitted via the ULM web site will be reported to the mascot committee and the full committee will be divided into four subcommittees.

On March 8, each seven-member subcommittee will nominate approximately 10 semifinalists.

In mid-March, the full committee will narrow the semifinalists to finalists. All ULM students, faculty, staff, alumni, donors and friends will then be polled for their mascot preferences via the ULM web site.

Finally, the committee will incorporate that public input with advice from Rickabaugh Graphics and Collegiate Licensing Corporation in a meeting with ULM President James E. Cofer to determine ULM’s new mascot.

The next meeting will be March 1 at 3:30 p.m. in the ULM Library. At that meeting, the four subcommittees will begin nominating mascot semifinalists.