With the incredibly popular NCAA basketball tournament, better known as March Madness, in full swing, it feels like everyone is talking about college sports. The excitement is contagious, especially as someone who loves to see people celebrating women’s teams just as much as men’s teams, if not more.
However, basketball is perhaps the sport I know least about. I’ve never actually made a March Madness bracket because I would have no clue where to start.
The only thing I really know about any of these teams is their mascots and whether I approve of them. So this year, I’ve decided to participate in the tournament by ranking schools based on what one might call vibes.
Here’s how I decided which schools made my list: first, a good mascot is a creative mascot. That means no wildcats, bulldogs, or basic birds of prey. Second, the mascot should be visually appealing—even a great mascot can lose points for a creepy costume, boring logo, or clashing colors. I’ll also give schools bonus points if their mascot has a creative backstory.
- Tennessee Volunteers
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This mascot checks all my boxes. You won’t find any other schools using the Volunteer as their mascot, and you definitely won’t find any others using an adorable Bluetick coonhound as a symbol.
That lovable dog, named Smokey, has even been inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame.
Finally, as a bonus, the University of Tennessee takes the “volunteer” name from the state’s nickname, the Volunteer State, according to a Knox News article. The state earned that nickname by sending thousands of volunteers during wartime. That qualifies as a cool backstory to me!
- Richmond Spiders
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On its website, the University of Richmond claims to have “perhaps the most unique school nickname in the nation.” It says it is “the only school in the country with a Spider as a mascot.”
One may argue that no other school uses the spider mascot because it’s creepy. However, I find the school’s current costume charming. Plus, his name is WebstUR, which is a pretty clever pun.
I’m docking points from the school because, despite the creative mascot, the branding is quite bland. The athletic logo is a nondescript spider silhouette, and the team uniforms miss the opportunity for some fun web motifs. If you’ve already got a crazy mascot, why not go all out?
- Texas Christian University Horned Frogs
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TCU’s horned frog is both unique and confusing. The “frog” is actually a lizard, according to TCU’s website. In fact, the Texas horned lizard is the state reptile of Texas.
Calling these lizards “frogs” is a common misnomer. TCU loses some points for that, especially because I think a team of “horned lizards” sounds much better. However, there’s no denying the horned frog is a distinct mascot.
TCU also loses points for naming its mascot “SuperFrog.” I don’t think I need to elaborate on why that sounds uninspired. The costume also doesn’t look much like a horned lizard, but at least it isn’t creepy.
- Grand Canyon Lopes
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Arizona is home to another Western mascot about which I have mixed feelings. The Grand Canyon University Antelopes, or “Lopes” for short, are both creative and fitting for their location.
The antelope’s name is Thunder, according to the school’s website. Thunder replaced the previous mascot, Purple People Eater, who the school describes as a “purple blob.” So really, anything would’ve been an improvement.
However, there’s something off-putting about the Thunder costume—maybe it’s his empty, black smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes. Whatever the case, he’s definitely not my favorite.
- South Dakota State Jackrabbits
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The final mascot on my list is the Jackrabbits of South Dakota State University. At first glance, this mascot should be ranked much higher. The colors are eye-catching blue and yellow, and the logo is slick—a determined-looking rabbit running at full speed.
However, this school loses pretty much all its points due to the appearance of its actual mascot, Jack.
It feels like a bait-and-switch. Instead of matching the bright, energetic rabbit from the logo, Jack is gray and white with beady, black eyes. His ears flop loosely from either side of his head, and he permanently wears a baseball cap.
Luckily, there’s a decent backstory for the jackrabbit nickname, according to the school’s website. It may have come from a 1905 newspaper article that said the football team was “quick as jackrabbits.”
These five schools are far from the only ones with interesting mascots, but I can’t let this article go on for too long. Some honorable mentions that didn’t quite make the cut include the iconic Oregon Ducks and the New Mexico Lobos’ creative twist on the otherwise boring wolf mascot.
What’s your favorite mascot?
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