Sweet 16 Bracket: The Biggest Celebrities from the Big Dance's Remaining Schools

With the NCAA Tournament now down to the Sweet 16, it is time to take a more in-depth look at the schools remaining in the Big Dance.

The big powers still remain, but as always, some tiny schools from the middle of nowhere have burst onto the scene—schools many people know nothing about.

Maybe a little history about these schools will help.

Here is a look at the most notable alumni from each of the 16 remaining schools in the NCAA Tournament.

Northern Iowa

Located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Northern Iowa University is a relative unknown when it comes to the NCAA Tournament.

After knocking off Kansas and advancing to their first Sweet 16 in school history, the Panthers are quickly becoming the darlings of the Dance.

With an enrollment of only 13,000, finding the most famous person to ever attend the university was somewhat of a task. But by a landslide, the winner is Kurt Warner.

Warner never started for the Panthers until his senior year and went undrafted out of college. After getting his shot in the NFL in 1999, Warner burst onto the scene, winning Super Bowl MVP in 2000.

Warner was also a two-time NFL MVP and was selected to four Pro Bowls over his career before announcing his retirement after the 2009 NFL season.

Michigan State

Michigan State is one of the largest universities in the country with an enrollment of over 46,000. They are no strangers to the Big Dance, having been to five Final Fours in the past 11 years.

The most famous person to ever grace this institution is as clear-cut as any school in the tournament. He is Earvin "Magic" Johnson.

Johnson is one of the greatest basketball players ever born and led the Spartans to the NCAA Basketball Championship in 1979.

He went on to have a Hall of Fame career with the Los Angeles Lakers, winning MVP three times and being named an All-Star in 12 seasons. Johnson also won five NBA Championships.

Tennessee

The University of Tennessee, located in Knoxville, has had its fair share of celebrities.

Women's head coach Pat Summitt and Major League Baseball star Todd Helton are just two of the many who have attended the university.

The most famous Volunteer of them all is none other than Peyton Manning. Manning is emerging as the most dominant quarterback to ever play the game.

Manning was the No. 1 draft pick of the Indianapolis Colts in 1998 and since then has made a name for himself. He has been selected to 10 Pro Bowls and has also been named NFL MVP a record four times.

In 2005 Manning brought a Super Bowl home to Indianapolis and won MVP honors in the process.

Ohio State

The Ohio State University has had more big names come through than any other school in the tournament, making this decision the most challenging.

Located in Columbus, Ohio, Ohio State University is the second-largest school in the country and has had a storied history. With 11 Pulitzer Prize winners and names like Jesse Owens, Jerry Lucas, and Bobby Knight, picking just one Buckeye was not easy.

The selection is the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner in college football history, Archie Griffin. Griffin had one of the greatest careers of any college football player of all time.

As the only two-time winner of the Heisman Trophy, Griffin is in a class all by himself. Currently Griffin is the President and CEO of The Ohio State University Alumni Association.

Syracuse

The Syracuse University Orange have a rich basketball tradition, and under coach Jim Boeheim, they have built one of the best programs in the country.

The Orange have also had their fair share of famous celebrities come through their doors.

Names like Ernie Davis, the first African-American to win the Heisman trophy, and the famous entertainer Dick Clark are Syracuse alums. But when it comes to their most famous, the answer is the legendary Jim Brown.

Brown starred at Syracuse in football, lacrosse, basketball, and track. Known by many as the greatest lacrosse player ever born, Brown excelled in the sport in college.

After being taken in the first round by the Cleveland Browns in 1957, Brown had a Hall of Fame career without even playing into his 30s. Brown was a three-time NFL MVP and retired as the all-time leader in rushing yards and touchdowns.

Many consider Brown the greatest American-born athlete of all time.

Butler

With only 4,500 students, Butler University is one of the smaller institutions in the NCAA Tournament. Located in Indianapolis, Indiana, the birthplace of basketball, the Bulldogs have been Cinderella on more than a few occasions.

Playing at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse, Butler has emerged as the best mid-major in college basketball over the past decade. That emergence began with former head coach and most notable alum Thad Matta.

Matta is one of the best young coaches in the game, having amassed 20-win seasons in each of his 10 seasons as a head coach. Matta began his coaching career at Butler, where he led the Bulldogs to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in 2001.

After leading Xavier to the Elite Eight in 2004, Matta took the Ohio State job and led the Buckeyes to the NCAA Championship game in 2007. He is looking to get back to the Final Four and return home to Indianapolis this April.

Xavier

Much like Butler, Xavier University has been another consistent mid-major for the last decade. The cradle of college basketball coaches, Xavier has produced the likes of Pete Gillen, Skip Prosser, Thad Matta, and Sean Miller.

Xavier is a private Jesuit university located in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Musketeers have had a storied basketball history despite never playing in an NCAA Final Four.

The most notable Xavier alum is former Senator Jim Bunning. Bunning was also a Major League pitcher and in 1964 pitched a perfect game. In 1996 Bunning was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

After retiring from baseball, Bunning became a United States Senator from Kentucky.

Kansas State

Located in Manhattan, Kansas, Kansas State University is sometimes known as little New York. Head coach Frank Martin has picked up where Bob Huggins left off, building a successful program.

The Wildcats are quickly becoming one of the most dominant programs not only in the Big 12, but in the entire nation.

With an enrollment of nearly 22,000 students, Kansas State has a few famous alumni. Among its list of famous alums is two-time Emmy Award-winning actress Kirstie Alley.

Alley stared in the sitcom Cheers and has appeared in many other movies and television shows. She has also been seen on numerous commercials.

Kentucky

No university loves its college basketball more than the Kentucky Wildcats. They have had one of the most storied traditions in the history of college basketball and have won more games than any school.

Having won over 2,000 games, the Wildcats are in a league of their own and pack Rupp Arena every night. Among their notable alumni is their biggest fan: actress Ashley Judd.

Judd has appeared in numerous award-winning films, including A Time to Kill and Double Jeopardy. She also has appeared at every big Kentucky basketball game over the years.

She is a favorite of commentator Dick Vitale and can be seen rooting on the Wildcats wherever they are playing.

Cornell

Cornell University is one of the most widely renowned universities in the country and is located in Ithaca, New York. As part of the Ivy League, the Cornell Big Red have made the first Sweet 16 appearance for their conference in over 10 years.

As one of the more decorated institutions in America, Cornell has had its fair share of notable alums, and at the head of that list is the always entertaining Bill Nye.

Bill Nye graduated from Cornell in 1977 with a mechanical engineering degree and is best known for hosting Bill Nye the Science Guy, an educational program about science.

Washington

As one of the lowest-seeded teams to reach the Sweet 16, the Washington Huskies, along with Cornell, are one of the Cinderellas of the NCAA Tournament.

Washington is the largest university in the Western United States, and the Huskies were the Pac-10 conference tournament champions.

With such a large enrollment, Washington has had many famous alums come through their doors. The most notable of them all is the legendary Bruce Lee.

Born in Seattle, Washington, Lee majored in drama. After college Lee became the greatest martial arts fighter of all time. He was a man able to perform superhuman feats that have not yet been equaled.

Lee became an actor, appearing in numerous television shows and films in the 1960s and 1970s before his death in 1973.

West Virginia

Under new head coach Bob Huggins, West Virgina is once again a basketball powerhouse. Dating back to the days of Jerry West, the Mountaineers have always loved their basketball.

Since the arrival of Huggins at his alma mater three years ago, West Virginia has returned to basketball prominence with the help of its most notable alum.

Huggins was born in Morgantown, West Virginia and was a point guard for the Mountaineers from 1975-1977. After graduating Huggins began an illustrious coaching career that has seen him appear in 17 NCAA Tournaments.

With 668 career wins, he is currently fourth among active Division I coaches and has appeared in one Final Four and two Elite Eights.

Duke

The Duke University Blue Devils, located in Durham, North Carolina, are no stranger to the Sweet 16, having been there 19 times under current head coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Duke is also a prized institution that has been home to many famous alumni. The man above and beyond everyone on this list is former President of the United States Richard Nixon.

Nixon graduated third in his class in June 1937 from Duke University School of Law. After serving in the House of Representatives and the Senate, Nixon became Vice President under Dwight D. Eisenhower from 1953-1961 before being elected President in 1968.

Nixon is perhaps best remembered for the infamous Watergate scandal during his second term in office.

Purdue

The Purdue Boilermakers hail from West Lafayette, Indiana and have become a surprise to many, having reached the Sweet 16 despite the season-ending injury to star forward Robbie Hummel.

Over the years Purdue has had its fair share of notable alums, including John Wooden and Drew Brees, but none is more well known than astronaut Neil Armstrong.

Neil Armstrong is known around the globe as the first man to walk on the moon and for the famous words that followed: "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind."

Baylor

The Baylor Bears have been through more trauma over the past decade than any school in the tournament. Head coach Scott Drew took over a program after the fatal 2003 shooting tragedy of two teammates.

Located in Waco, Texas, the Baylor has produced many famous alumni, but the most notable of them all is country legend Willie Nelson.

Nelson has won six Grammy Awards and is one of the most popular songwriters this country has ever seen. Nelson also began appearing in movies in the 1970s.

Nelson is widely recognized as an American icon and is a true living music legend.

St. Mary's

The St. Mary's Gaels are fresh off upsets of Richmond and Villanova and are led by the big man in the middle Omar Samhan. As the third double-digit seed to reach the Sweet 16, St. Mary's has surprised a lot of experts.

Located in Moraga, California, St. Mary's is home to fewer than 5,000 students and hails from the West Coast Conference.

Previously famous for always finishing second to Gonzaga in the WCC, the Gaels are making a new name for themselves in this tournament.

Finding a famous alum from St. Mary's was the most difficult of all the schools. The most notable of the small group is Olympic silver medalist Tracee Talavera.

Talavera won a silver medal in gymnastics at the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Talavera was inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1998.