The Nevada Wolf Pack
The Nevada Wolf Pack, one of only two teams nationally to use the designation (North Carolina State is the other, though they use Wolfpack as one word while Nevada uses two words with a capital 'P'), has been using the Wolf Pack designation since at least the early 1920s.
Nevada's first athletic teams in the late 1890s and early 1900s were referred to as the Sagebrushers or even the Sage Hens after Nevada's state flowering plant, the sagebrush. There are references in print to the 'Sage Warriors', although none of these names were the official mascot of Nevada's athletic teams.
In the 1921-22 athletic season, a local writer described the spirited play of a Nevada team as a 'pack of wolves'. The name stuck and soon almost every reference to the athletic teams was the Nevada Wolves. In 1923, the students officially designated 'Wolves' as the school's mascot.
Since all teams are a group of players, the word pack followed quickly. In 1928-29, the Nevada student handbook referred to the athletic teams as Wolf Pack and two school songs were adopted, entitled 'The Wolf Pack' and 'Here Comes the Wolf Pack'.
While the academic institution is known as the University of Nevada, Reno, the intercollegiate athletics teams at the University are referenced as "Nevada."
Wolf Pack Mascots
Alphie, Wolfie Jr. and Luna represent the Wolf Pack at all of Nevada's sporting events. Nevada's furry mascots also represent the Wolf Pack at events throughout the community all season.
Alphie is the oldest of the Pack, joining the Wolf Pack in 2001. Fans were very excited about his arrival and had a vote to his name. They settled on Alphie because he is the Alpha of Nevada's Wolf Pack. One of his bucket list dreams came true in 2005 when he was featured on CBS' "One Shining Moment" after the 2005 national championship game. Alphie can be seen comforting his friend and former Wolf Pack standout Jermaine Washington at the 1:39 mark in the video.
Alphie was joined on the sidelines by his younger brother, Wolfie Jr., in 2007. One of the proudest moments in Wolf Pack history came when Wolfie Jr. won the Capital One Mascot Challenge in 2012. It was announced that Wolfie had beaten out Buzz from Georgia Tech at the Capital One Bowl in Orlando and win $20,000 for the Nevada spirit program. Fans cast more than 45 million votes in the Capital One Mascot Challenge that year.
The Wolf Pack grew by one more when little sister, Luna, joined the group in 2013, giving Nevada three lovable mascots to cheer on all of the Wolf Pack's teams.
Wolf Pack Cheer
The Wolf Pack cheer program is one of the most visible and active teams at the University of Nevada. They perform at home football, men's basketball and women's basketball games as well as soccer and volleyball matches. The team also represents the Wolf Pack at many events throughout the community and run programs for youth like the popular Perform with the Pack.
In addition to appearing at nearly every Wolf Pack game, the Nevada cheer team regularly volunteers in the community and annually leads the Wolf Pack in community service hours every year. In 2020, the Wolf Pack cheer team turned in over 3,500 hours of community service.
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The Wolf Pack Marching Band - The Pride of the Sierra
Established in 1980, the Wolf Pack Marching Band has been an essential part of the University of Nevada game day experience for almost 40 years.
One of the most visible student groups on campus, the Wolf Pack Marching Band, performs at all home football, men's basketball and women's basketball games, selected volleyball and soccer matches, as well as events in the community. In addition, the band travels in support of the Wolf Pack, to one regular season away football game, bowl games and basketball tournaments.
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The Nevada Fight Song
HAIL to our sturdy team, loyal and true,
MARCH, march on down the field oh Silver and Blue!
We'll give a long cheer for NEVADA's team,
See them break through again,
Fighting for our own U of N to victory.
N - E - V - A - D - A
NEVADA!
The Law of the Jungle
"The Law of the Jungle" is a poem from Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book. It is recited before each home football and basketball game in a chant led by the student section.
Now this is the Law of the Jungle -- as old and as true as the sky;
And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die.
As the creeper that girdles the tree-trunk the Law runneth forward and back --
For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack.
The chorus is followed by a wolf's howl played over the stadium sound system and echoed throughout the venue by the fans in attendance.
Alma Mater
Where the Truckee's snowfed waters,
Drop from mountain's crest,
And the meadows meet the sagebrush,
by the sun caressed.
Cradled by the silver mountains,
'Neath the western blue,
Stands our noble Alma Mater,
Our Nevada U.
As the miner, on the desert,
Prospects ev'ry place,
So Nevada seeks the future
With an upturned face.
Ev'rywhere she gathers knowledge,
All that's good and true,
Gives she to her sons and daughters,
Of Nevada U.
We will ever live to serve her,
Live to give our best,
Live to make our Alma Mater
Pride of all the West.
Let her praises wake the echoes,
While we pledge anew,
Hearts and minds and hands and voices
To Nevada U.
Painting the N
Hillside letters are a common site in the Western U.S. and on the side of Peavine Peak proudly sits the NÂ of Nevada.
Every fall during the football season, a group of avid supporters and student make the trek up the hill to add a fresh coat of paint to the N.
The Fremont Cannon
One of college football's largest and most expensive trophies, the Fremont Cannon is the prize sought after when two in-state rivals, the University of Nevada and UNLV, meet each fall in football.
Nevada's two university football teams annually play for the right to house the mountain howitzer each season. Today's cannon is a replica of a gun that accompanied Captain John C. Fremont on his expedition through Oregon, Nevada and California in 1843-44.
Today, the cannon resides in a special alcove in the Cashell Football Center.
More information on the history of the Fremont Cannon can be found here.
