Why is SF State’s mascot a Gator?
In 1931, students selected the Golden Gater as the mascot because San Francisco was known as the City of the Golden Gate, which was the name of the waterway connecting San Francisco Bay to the Pacific Ocean even before the famous bridge was built over the strait (1933-1937).
The discussion in the student newspapers can be found in the research guide for the University Archives: https://libguides.sfsu.edu/sfstatearchives/mascot.
All Special Collections general reference assistance can be directed to specialcollections@sfsu.edu