UW students, sports teams, and alumni are called Huskies. The husky was selected as
the school mascot by student committee in 1922. It replaced the "Sun Dodger," an abstract
reference to the local weather that was quickly
dropped in favor of something more tangible. The costumed "Harry the Husky" performs at sporting and special events, and a live
Alaskan Malamute has traditionally led the UW football team onto the field at the start of games. The school colors of
purple and gold were adopted
in 1892 by student vote. The choice was purportedly inspired by the first stanza of Lord Byron's
The Destruction of
Sennacherib:
The Assyrian came down like the wolf on the fold,
And his cohorts were gleaming in purple and gold;
And the sheen of their spears was like stars on the sea,
And the blue wave rolls nightly on deep Galilee.The sports teams participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I-A and in the Pacific Ten Conference. Among their facilities are Husky Stadium (football) and the Bank of America Arena at Hec Ed Pavilion (basketball).The University football team is traditionally competitive, having won eight Rose Bowl and one Orange Bowl titles as of 2003. The Apple Cup against cross-state rivals
Washington State University is perhaps the
most important football game of the year to the UW community.The student newspaper is
The Daily of the University of Washington, usually referred to as simply
The Daily.