The Evolution of the Drexel Dragons: A Mascot's Tale
Drexel University's athletic teams, known as the Drexel Dragons, have a rich history dating back to the late 19th century. From their early days as "The Engineers" to the modern-day "Mario the Magnificent," the story of the Drexel Dragons is one of evolution, tradition, and unwavering school spirit. The school's athletic program includes eighteen NCAA Division I sports including nine men's and nine women's teams, with most sports teams competing in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA). Drexel's first intercollegiate event was a basketball game played against Temple College in January 1895, a game that Drexel won by a score of 26 to 1. The Dragons joined Division I in 1973. This article explores the origins of the "Dragons" moniker, the evolution of the mascot, and the significance of "Mario the Magnificent" in representing the university's values.
From Engineers to Dragons: The Birth of a Mascot
Before the fearsome Dragons, Drexel's athletic teams were known as "The Engineers." This name, while representative of the university's strong engineering program, failed to capture the imagination of the entire student body. As an April 16, 1928 article of The Triangle, Drexel’s student newspaper, recounted, the non-engineering students didn’t necessarily want to be called “The Engineers.” In 1928, a pivotal decision was made to adopt a new mascot that would resonate with a broader audience.
The April 16, 1928 issue of The Triangle, then a two-year-old independent student newspaper, reported on the Drexel Institute of Art, Science and Industry’s football team: “Due to the fact that both the Engineering and Business Administration Schools are being represented on the various athletic teams of Drexel, it has been decided to call or nickname these teams, ‘The Dragons,’”
The dragon was chosen primarily for alliteration - the Drexel Dragons - and it is still used today. According to Eric A. Zillmer in “Building Drexel,” “the football team was characterized as fighting like Dragons!” Clearly, the name stuck. Zillner describes how “a Dragon logo appears on the jerseys of the men’s basketball team the next year. Before then, the school’s sports teams were known as the Blue and Gold, the Engineers and the Drexelites. Drexel is also the only school to have a dragon mascot.
The term “Drexel Dragons” was first mentioned in the Oct. 17, 1928 edition. A Drexel football team victory was celebrated in the headline “Drexel Dragons Make Astounding Records as Victorious Team.” Before and even after the name was switched to “the Dragons” and “the Drexel Dragons,” teams were also referred to as “the Drexelites” and “the Blue & Gold.” Up until the 1980s, “Dragonettes” was even used for the women’s athletics teams.
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The Many Faces of the Drexel Dragon: A Visual History
In the 90 or so years since the dragon was hatched at Drexel, the look of the mascot has changed a lot. The Drexel Dragon has attended various sports, alumni and other University events as - spoiler alert! - a human being in a mascot costume. Old bones were broken away and new ones installed (this time of steel); its head was remodeled according to the 1930 fashion; a new set of teeth was installed. … A small jar of titanium tetrachloride has been placed in the head with tubes leading to the nostrils. When the liquid comes in contact with the air a dense smoke is formed, resembling the traditional fiery breath of the historic monsters.
A few years later, this smoke-emitting Dragon was updated to a lighter, safer version of a dragon, made of cloth, that Drexel students could walk under, and alongside, to march it down the street before a big game.
A few decades later, it seems as though the Drexel Dragon was being created, rather than acted out. In 1962, for example, one was made out of papier-maché by a group of creative and enterprising fraternity brothers for a special event. In 1970, another inanimate Dragon rode around on the back of a car during Drexel’s Homecoming parade.
By the end of the decade, however, the Drexel Dragon mascot became animated - a tradition that continues to this day, with Drexel students stepping in to Mario’s claws. In the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, the Dragon wore a collegiate sweater featuring a big Drexel “D” over a jumpsuit-like costume with a hard mask, as seen in publicity photos from the newly opened Dragon’s Den in 1979 and photos at the gym. This Dragon had eyebrows and a Mohawk-like horn (both of which would disappear at a later point). The shoes of the student could be seen under the dragon’s feet (which would later change), and the hands of the student were covered in gloves (Dragon claws would later be incorporated into the outfit itself).
By the mid-‘90s, however, the Mohawk and eyebrows were gone, though a line of thick spikes were added to the side of the Dragon’s face, under his newly incorporated ears. These photos, which are in color now, show the Dragon in shades of light and royal blue (rather than today’s navy) and wearing a yellow (rather than today’s gold) shirt with “Drexel Dragon” printed on the front, under which a lighter blue belly was exposed. This costume, which is housed in the Daskalakis Athletic Center, still resembled a loose velour jumpsuit, with small wings that were safety-pinned on the back (today they’re worn like a backpack) and claws big enough for the student to wear his or her own shoes inside. The wearer would be able to see through the mouth of the dragon in the special head part of the costume; today, the mascot’s eyes are used to see.
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Mario the Magnificent: A Modern Icon
Today, Drexel University’s mascot is a dragon named Mario - but he wasn’t always called Mario, and he wasn’t always a dragon. Mario has only been “Mario,” or “Mario the Magnificent,” since 1997, when that year’s graduating class gifted the University a new dragon mascot with a new name. Mario the Magnificent is the Mascot for all Drexel University athletic teams.
The name was chosen to honor Mario V. Mascioli of the class of 1945, who didn't miss a Drexel game for more than 20 years. Just like the man he is named for, Mario is an enormous fan of both Drexel and Drexel Athletics.
Mario the Magnificent is not just a sketch of a dragon spotted throughout the school or an idle statue - he is the face of Drexel, projecting the same attributes of bravery and determination that its students possess. The students performing as Mario pour passion and dedication not only into their performances but into the university. A school as big as Drexel needs a mascot with an equally big personality. Bobar explains that “The mascot sets the mood for everyone, especially the students. Both he and Gui described the joy and chaos that comes from taking pictures with students and raising the morale of the DAC student section with cheers and dances.
Mario is not the only one making sure that everyone has a good memory of Drexel; students can also volunteer to be Mario’s handler. Mario’s handlers play a crucial role in his safety and performance. Gui reflects on her impact: “It makes me feel like I belong at Drexel.
In 1997, when the Drexel Dragon was officially named Mario, he was outfitted in the Drexel navy and gold of today. Mario was more of a fitted costume than loose jumpsuit, and had picked up some shoes along the way. Now, his physicality included slotted snake-like eyes, a big, forked, red tongue, big ears on the side of his face and a bright gold belly. Five years later, Mario had gotten a new makeover, this time with huge gold spikes down his back and tail that matched his claws. Sometimes he wore sneakers, sometimes he didn’t. The snake-like tongue remained, but the eyes became more cartoonish, the face became more yellow around his mouth and nose and the ears were removed. The 2008 Mario starts to look more like the 2018 Mario - mostly navy, with cartoonish eyes, navy and gold wings that have slightly changed, a tongue that stays in his mouth and a more understated set of gold spikes on his back and tail. As you can see through these photos, today’s Mario looks very different compared to the Mario of the late ‘90s and the Drexel Dragon of the decades before it. Next time you see Mario on campus, feel free to tell him you like his “new” look!
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Athletic Achievements: A Legacy of Excellence
The Drexel Dragons have achieved significant milestones across various sports, showcasing their competitive spirit and dedication.
- Men's Soccer: Drexel has one major National Championship to its credit. In 1958 with a 12-0-0 record, coached by United Soccer Coaches Hall of Fame member Donald Y. Yonker, the men's soccer team was awarded the national title by the Intercollegiate Soccer Football Association of America, then the governing body of men's college soccer. This occurred the year before the NCAA instituted a playoff system and so Drexel's championship is not officially recognized today by the NCAA. The 1963 men's soccer team at 10-3-1 and the 1972 team at 9-5-0, subsequently earned NCAA tournament berths. Drexel won the CAA regular season title in 2007, finishing at 11-5-3 in a tie for first with Old Dominion and reaching then CAA tournament semifinals. Drexel Soccer alumni Jeff Parke played 10 years of professional soccer, most recently for Major League Soccer's D.C. In 2013, Drexel soccer won the CAA tournament, earning the conference's No. 1 seed for the first time, and also again earning an NCAA tournament berth.
- Women's Basketball: In 2009, Drexel women's basketball team ended Old Dominion University's NCAA record 17-year reign as CAA champion with a 62-41 victory in the conference semifinals. Behind Colonial player of the year Gabriela Marginean, Drexel captured its first-ever CAA Basketball championship with a 64-58 victory against James Madison University. This was the Dragon's first CAA tournament title in any sport since joining the conference in 2001-02 and it represented the first NCAA tournament berth for Drexel women's basketball since going Division I in 1982. The win also marked the team's 16th straight since starting off the season with an 8 and 8 record. The 2012-2013 Drexel Dragons finished third in the CAA with a 13-5 conference record and were invited to the Women's National Invitation Tournament.
- Field Hockey: Drexel's field hockey team won the 2012 CAA Title for the first time in program history with a 2-1 overtime victory against Northeastern, getting the automatic NCAA tournament bid. In 2009, women's field hockey reached a number of program milestones. The team won the CAA regular season title, earned its first NCAA Tournament berth and picked up its first NCAA Tournament victory. The team's 19 victories broke their 2008 record of 16 wins. The Dragon's defeated No. 5 University of Connecticut, 3-2, in the first round of the NCAA Women's Field Hockey Championship. They reached the 'round of eight' before losing to No. 1 ranked and undefeated University of Maryland.
- Lacrosse: In 2014, Drexel scored in the third overtime as the Dragons came from behind to defeat Hofstra 11-10, to win its first Colonial Athletic Association championship and earn their first-ever NCAA tournament berth. In 2007, Drexel lacrosse defeated University of Virginia, ranked number one at the time and the defending National Champion, Drexel's first victory over a number one ranked Division I team in any sport. Drexel's 1998 lacrosse squad finished the year with a then school record of twelve wins against two defeats. The season included a 14 to 10 defeat of a top 20 team, Towson University, eleven straight wins to start the season and a number 19 ranking. This win total has since been eclipsed by the 2008 lacrosse team which had 13 victories. Women's lacrosse completed 2011 with their first ever Colonial Tournament appearance after a fourth place conference finish. The season included a total of three Colonial conference wins, the most since 2007.
- Rowing: Drexel has also had success participating in the Dad Vail Regatta, the largest regular intercollegiate rowing event in the US, held on the Schuylkill River. At the 2000 Dad Vail, Drexel placed second in the Men's Second Varsity 8 event. Their rowing teams have won gold medals in the 1997 Men's Frosh/Novice and Men's JV Eight, silver in the 2000 Men's JV Eight, as well as bronze in the 2005 Women's Varsity Heavyweight Eight. The 2005 Women's Varsity Heavyweight Eight participated in the Women's Henley Regatta competing for the Jeffries Cup. Recently, the Drexel Rowing program has made significant strides in the rowing community. In the 2010 spring season at the Dad Vail Regatta, the Men's Second Varsity eight and the Men's Varsity pair took gold medals; while the Men's Freshman eight came across the line with a silver medal. The Women's Varsity eight placed third overall and the Women's Second Varsity eight finished just shy of a medal in fourth.
- Squash: Squash is an emerging sport at Drexel University, with the men's and women's varsity squash program established in 2011. The men's club team was founded in 2005 by Evan Cyrkin and Justin Burkholder and the women's by Violetta Shubayeva in 2007. Both, the Drexel Men's and Women's Squash teams, compete in the intercollegiate circuit (governed by the College Squash Association) as well as the Philadelphia Squash Racquets Association. On April 25, 2011, the Drexel Athletics Director, Dr. Eric Zillmer, announced the addition of men's and women's squash as varsity programs that will begin competing in the 2011-12 academic year.
- Track and Field: The school's men's track and field team was formed in 1898. It was disbanded in 1952 but then was officially re-instated in 1970. The women's track program began in 1993.
- Wrestling: In Wrestling, Coach Jack Childs became just the fifth coach in NCAA history to reach 500 career wins, spending more than 30 years at Drexel. Childs coached the school's first NCAA All-American in 2004 when Rob Rebmann placed 7th at the NCAA Tournament.
- Other Sports: Drexel fielded both men's and women's rifle teams from 1919 through 2003, when the program was shut down by the administration due to public safety concerns, a lack of leadership, and the need for expensive renovations to the rifle range. Drexel fielded a football team from 1895 to 1973, with the sport being discontinued after the 1973 season in order to increase funding for other sports teams. Drexel University Club Cricket is an NCCA Division 1 team that was the runner up in the 2015 edition of American College Cricket. It also won the Mid-Atlantic regionals in 2015 and 2017.
Notable Athletes and Coaches: Champions On and Off the Field
Drexel's athletic program has produced numerous talented athletes and coaches who have made significant contributions to their respective sports.
- Basketball: Drexel basketball teams have included both locally and nationally known players such as Michael Anderson and Malik Rose. Besides Rose and Anderson, the only other Drexel alumnus to play in the NBA is Damion Lee. In March 2012, Bashir Mason, a four-year starter on the men's basketball team was named the 18th head coach of the Wagner Seahawks basketball team.
- Field Hockey: Head Coach Denise Zelenak was a member and captain of the United States Women's Indoor Field Hockey Team, leading them to a silver medal in the Pan American games.
- Lacrosse: Former Drexel lacrosse head coach Chris Bates played professionally for the Philadelphia Wings tallying 29 goals and 49 assists in 73 games, winning NLL championships in 1994, 1995 and 1998 with the club, and making the All-Pro team in 1996. Scott Stewart, who played one year of lacrosse at Drexel and graduated in 2001, was the third overall pick in the 2001 NLL draft and had tabulated 151 goals with 162 assists in his career through 2012.
- Rowing: In the sport of rowing, Mark Gerban (who swam for Drexel) was the first person in history to represent Palestine at the 2005 World Championships in Gifu Prefecture, Japan.
- Swimming & Diving: In 2008, Kate Hynes became Drexel's first women's swimming & diving All-American when she placed 13th on the three-meter board at the NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships.
- Other Notable Athletes: Other notable athletes include Lynn B. Ferguson, who was an All-American in both football and lacrosse during his time at Drexel; as well as Dennis Fink who earned the university's first-ever Division I All-America honor for lacrosse, was the first Drexel player to lead the nation in scoring, and currently remains among the all-time leaders in several NCAA Men's Division I Lacrosse Records categories.
The Drexel Fight Song and the DAC Pack: Fueling School Spirit
The Drexel Fight Song, written by Gay V. Piercy 1939 and Todd Groo 1941 and first appeared in print in a 1938 edition of the Drexel Athletic News, embodies the passion and pride of the Drexel community.
The DAC Pack is the student cheering section for men's and women's basketball games at Drexel University. "DAC" refers to the Daskalakis Athletic Center, the arena in which the men's and women's home games are played. Founded in 2002, the DAC Pack has grown from 10 people its first year, to a group that consistently fills the sideline and baseline student seating areas at home games. In the final months of basketball off-season, a contest is held for Drexel students to design the official DAC Pack T-shirt for the upcoming season, with the winning design then printed on over 3,000 shirts given out for free to students at basketball games. The DAC Pack also funds and organizes the annual Midnight Madness concert event to kick off the season.
The Triangle: Documenting Drexel's History
The Triangle, Drexel's student newspaper, has played a vital role in documenting the university's history, including the evolution of the Drexel Dragons mascot.
The first edition of the Triangle came out on Feb. 1, 1926, under the leadership of Thomas T. Mather. In the first edition, the editorial board made it clear they had worked hard to make the paper come to life. They wrote, “The publishing of this paper is made possible through the Board of Trustees of Drexel Institute, who so willingly and graciously agreed to assist the editorial staff with funds. Though the Board of Trustees of Drexel were crucial for the launch of the Triangle, since then the paper has operated under complete student management. Triangle reporters have covered the impact of historical events ranging from World War II, the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War. The newspaper has also covered decades worth of campus happenings and student life, ranging from sports games to concerts to local business profiles.
An important Triangle tradition that dates back to 1941 is The Rectangle, the newspaper’s April Fools’ edition. As a DrexelNow article discusses, the Rectangle has featured headlines like “Uncle Sam Drafts Entire Drexel Faculty” and “Hagerty Library Scandal Exposes Porn Ring.” In 2015, President John A. This new format of thetriangle.org opened the doors for students and community members to access content more conveniently. In 2019, The Triangle stopped printing weekly for the first time since 1926. Former Editor-in-Chief Mike Avena informed the staff that the newspaper ran out of money. Though this campaign helped the newspaper print weekly again, the pandemic shook things up once more. In August 2021, The Triangle stopped publishing. Due to the pandemic and remote schooling, Triangle print production screeched to a halt. Kiara Santos was named Editor-in-Chief in April 2022; she managed to assemble a team of former writers and editors to publish the first post-hiatus online edition on June 10, 2022. Print came back on Sep. 23, 2022 with a special Welcome Week edition. Since then, The Triangle team has managed to cover multiple important events around Philadelphia (such as the Made in America Festival, Gov. Josh Shapiro’s inauguration as well as the Obama, Fetterman & Shapiro rally) and bring back the journalistic spirit on the Drexel campus. On its 97th anniversary, The Triangle asks our readers to support us financially by donating to our campaign.
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