SPOKANE, Wash. – March Madness is upon us! That means sports fans have the privilege of seeing some of the most bizarre and unique mascots in the NCAA cheering for their teams during the Big Dance.
Here are five interesting mascot origin stories from some of the remaining teams in the NCAA Tournament.
Gonzaga Bulldogs
College hoops fans and sportscasters alike often ask, “What is a Zag, anyway?” However, the “Zags” are not Gonzaga’s mascot. A fierce Bulldog named Spike represents the team. The namesake stems from a reporter's comments in 1921; they wrote that the Gonzaga football team’s players “fought tenaciously like Bulldogs,” according to the Gonzaga Athletics website. Human mascots replaced live bulldogs in 1980. In 2000, Spike made an appearance in Nike’s “Welcome to Bracketville” commercials for the NCAA Tournament.
North Carolina Tar Heels
North Carolina’s mascot is a ram, which may confuse some because of the name. The school adopted the ram as a mascot after the Tar Heels’ star football players was nicknamed the “battering ram” in 1922, according to the university’s Athletics website. Live rams have traveled throughout the country to represent the team. The Tar Heels trumped the Gonzaga Bulldogs at the 2017 NCAA National Championship. The team will play Texas A&M Sunday afternoon.
Ohio State University Buckeyes
Ohio State’s mascot is a giant nut. Yes, you heard that right. The team's mascot probably receives its name from a tree native to Ohio. The nuts are inedible but supposedly bring good luck, according to the university’s website. In 1788, we can find the first recorded use of the term “buckeye” to refer to an Ohio resident; this was 15 years before Ohio achieved statehood. The Buckeyes will face off against the Zags on Saturday at 4:45 p.m.
Syracuse University Orange
In the 1980s, Syracuse University looked for a mascot for the second time, according to the university’s Athletics website. The candidates included a penguin with an orange scarf, an orangutan, the Abominable Orangeman, Egnaro the Troll and the Orange. The university’s current mascot, a fuzzy and jolly orange named Otto, made the cut and received his current name in 1990. The Orange will face off against Michigan State Sunday morning.
West Virginia Mountaineers
In a sort of break from tradition, West Virginia’s mascot does not wear a costume that obscures any and all human appearance. The man or woman who represents the Mountaineer is selected each year. They wear custom-tailored buckskins, traditionally made from deer hide and a coonskin cap and powder horn, and carry a rifle, according to the university’s website. Most grow a beard during their stint as the mountaineer. The team will face off against Marshall University Sunday night.