Victory Flame

When the Lions win, the flame glows.

The Victory Flame started as a simple gas torch in front of the old campus bookstore. When something happened worth celebrating, someone lit the gas torch. When construction on the Guillot University Center began in 1986, the torch fizzled out for almost a decade.

In 1995, the National Alumni Association raised more than $30,000 to rebuild it. They rallied donors around the theme: “Together We Shall Achieve Victory.” The new flame claimed its spot in the heart of campus near Harrison Plaza during a Homecoming pep rally that October, and it’s stood there ever since.

Today, the rule hasn’t changed. The flame only lights up after a Lions football win. No win, no fire, no exceptions. When it’s burning, it means something actually happened, students cut across campus to see it, alumni who’ve watched this same ritual for thirty years stop and look, and for a minute, the whole UNA community is standing around the same fire for the same reason. More than just a tradition, the Victory Flame is a beacon of perseverance and pride that continues to inspire generations of Lions.