Cayenne is the official mascot of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette

University of Louisiana at Lafayette

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette, or UL Lafayette, is a coeducational, public research university located in Lafayette, Louisiana, in the heart of Acadiana...

 Ragin' Cajuns athletic teams. He is an anthropomorphic Cayenne pepper

Cayenne pepper

The cayenne pepper—also known as the Guinea spice,cow-horn pepper, aleva, bird pepper,or, especially in its powdered form, red pepper—is a red, hot chili pepper used to flavor dishes and for medicinal purposes. Named for the city of Cayenne in French Guiana, it is a cultivar of Capsicum annuum...

 (a staple dish of the Acadiana

Acadiana

Acadiana, or The Heart of Acadiana, is the official name given to the French Louisiana region that is home to a large Francophone population. Of the 64 parishes that make up Louisiana, 22 named parishes and other parishes of similar cultural environment, make up the intrastate...

region in which UL-Lafayette is located).

Cayenne is the fourth mascot, following a couple of live bulldogs (when the athletic teams were named the Bulldogs), Mr. Ragin' Cajun (animated), and the Fabulous Cajun Chicken (the most popular mascot in the history of the school). Cayenne was created using an "out of the box" method. Instead of being a physical representation of Ragin' Cajuns, like most mascots are, Cayenne is the embodiment of the Ragin' Cajun spirit of Acadiana.

Cayenne was introduced in 2000, and changes clothes depending on what sporting event he's at, e.g., he wears a Ragin' Cajun football uniform at the football games, and a UL Lafayette basketball jersey for the basketball games.