March Madness: Ranking the Tournament Mascots

Filling out an NCAA tournament bracket can be a frustrating experience, so why not ease up and choose based on mascots? Of the 68 NCAA tournament teams, whose mascot is the most intimidating? Which is most likely to scare the pants off its opponents?  

To save you a little time, we’re going to group like-mascots together: cat family, dog family, friars—you get the picture. Er, there’s only one friar, but you still get the picture.

Anyway, keep in mind that we’re talking mascots here as opposed to just nicknames. The Rebels of Ole Miss and the Tar Heels of North Carolina, for instance, each have a different mascot than their school’s nickname. We’re talking about the stuffed ram dressed in baby blue as opposed to a sticky black substance on the boots of soldiers.

Each type of mascot will come with an intimidation factor on a scale of 1-10. Agree or disagree, that’s up to you, but here are my rankings. All the tournament teams and their mascots, from least intimidating to most.  

No Mascot

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Teams: Indiana Hoosiers, Manhattan Jaspers, Harvard Crimson

You know what’s not intimidating? Not having a mascot at all (looking at you, Indiana). The team’s nickname is “Hoosiers,” which simply means “residents of Indiana.” 

Manhattan College named its sports teams after Brother Jasper of Mary, F.S.C., the school’s first athletic director. And while “Crimson” is the nickname of Harvard University, there is no official mascot when it comes to the athletic teams.

Intimidation Factor: 0.0

Leprechaun

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Team: Notre Dame Fighting Irish

“Fighting Irish” sounds a little intimidating, but a leprechaun certainly doesn’t inspire much fear. In fact, the mascot at the University of Notre Dame just looks like a nice guy. 

Intimidation Factor: 0.5

Brutus Buckeye

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Team: Ohio State Buckeyes

Personally, I think Brutus Buckeye is a great mascot—he’s well-known and respected around all of college athletics. That said, he’s also part of a tree. Brutus’ head is a buckeye nut, which comes from the state tree of Ohio. 

A plant is only marginally more intimidating than no mascot at all.

Intimidation Factor: 0.5

Rudy Flyer

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Team: Dayton Flyers   

The University of Dayton, or UD, gave its mascot a nickname that rhymed with its initials. Rudy is an old-time pilot and apparently acts as a tribute to the Wright Brothers, who were from Dayton, Ohio. In all honestly, the only real intimidating thing about Rudy looks to be his chin. 

Intimidation Factor: 1.0

Testudo Terrapin

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Team: Maryland Terrapins

I appreciate schools with unique mascots, so if that were the criteria, Maryland would be up there. However, when intimidation is the name of the game, a turtle isn’t exactly cutting it. I will say that Testudo kind of reminds me of a Ninja Turtle, which carries some clout.

Intimidation Factor: 2.0

Purdue Pete

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Team: Purdue Boilermakers

Although a locomotive is the official mascot of Purdue University, Purdue Pete represents all Boilermakers in a historic nod to engineers at Purdue. Engineers are awesome, but intimidating? Pete does have a sledgehammer, though, so. There's that.

Intimidation Factor: 2.5

Mountaineer

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Team: West Virginia Mountaineers

A mountaineer is, intuitively, a person who climbs mountains, and as such, he or she is tough enough to survive in the mountains. Each year, a special committee at West Virginia University selects a senior to be the new mascot. I appreciate authenticity, but the intimidation score might be higher here if it weren't for the coonskin cap and fringe.

Intimidation Factor: 3.0 

Bucky Badger

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Team: Wisconsin Badgers

Like Big Ten rival Ohio State, the University of Wisconsin also borrows its mascot from its home state. Wisconsin is the Badger State, and Bucky Badger is Wisconsin’s mascot. A badger is a small-ish mammal that likes to burrow tunnels—which doesn’t seem that scary.

But get this: According to UWBadgers.com, the original real-life mascot was often “too vicious to control” and was ultimately deemed a safety risk for fans and players.

Intimidation Factor: 3.5

Peter the Anteater

Team: UC Irvine Anteaters                                                                     

Peter the Anteater: Even the name sounds like a character in a children’s book. Then again, a real anteater looks terrifying. UCI’s version, Peter, has gone through several fluffy iterations over the years, but his current chiseled rendition is actually a little intimidating.

Intimidation Factor: 3.5

Horses

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Teams: SMU Mustangs, Boise State Broncos, Wyoming Cowboys, Oklahoma Sooners  

Southern Methodist University is on its ninth mascot installment with the stallion Peruna IX, and the University of Wyoming has a pony named Cowboy Joe IV. Buster Bronco is pretty self-explanatory over at Boise State University.

The Oklahoma Sooners’ nickname is a historical term from the Civil War era, but the school’s mascots are Boomer and Sooner, fluffy horses that complement a covered wagon that also appears at home games.

One or two horses can be sort of scary, but they can also be majestic. And they are definitely not as bad as, say, a tiger or a whole pack of wolves.

Intimidation Factor: 4.0

Big Red, the ‘Fighting Razorback’

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Team: Arkansas Razorbacks

A razorback is a hog that, according to the Encyclopedia of Arkansas History and Culture, is “considered ruthless and dangerous when backed into a corner.” Big Red is the mascot at the University of Arkansas, and he is meant to represent that fighting spirit at athletic events.

Think a really ticked-off Pumbaa.

Intimidation Factor: 4.5

Birds

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Teams: Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, Iowa Hawkeyes, Louisville Cardinals, North Florida Ospreys, Oregon Ducks, Kansas Jayhawks, Utah Utes, St. John's Red Storm, Eastern Washington Eagles, Iowa State Cyclones

Yes, the Utes are a Native American tribe, and red storms and cyclones are well, storms. However, the University of Utah, St. John's University and Iowa State University trot out birds during basketball games instead.

For those interested, a chanticleer is a rooster, and ospreys sort of look like bald eagles. Don’t get me wrong, anyone who’s seen Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds knows that flying animals can be downright terrifying. But as a group of mascots, they’re not too bad.

The Oregon Duck is a great mascot, but he’s friendly looking. The most intimidating in this group has to be Swoop from Utah, who is just a guy, but he’s wearing a pretty frightening hawk head that would probably keep children up at night.

Intimidation Factor: From The Oregon Duck to Swoop, birds can cover a wide range. Let's give the group a 5.0.

Providence College Friar

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Team: Providence Friars

I know what you're thinking: How intimidating could a friar be? Fair point. But the Providence College Friar is pretty creepy, you have to admit. 

Intimidation Factor: 5.5

Pistol Pete

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Teams: Oklahoma State Cowboys, New Mexico State Aggies

The mascots at Oklahoma State University and New Mexico State University are so similar that OSU sued NMSU for trademark infringement. In fact, Wyoming was once involved in this Pistol Pete business, too. Now, at OSU, he’s “Pistol Pete,” and at NMSU, he’s “Classic Aggie,” but there’s no question that both are gun-slinging cowboys.

Intimidation Factor: The disturbing appearance of OSU's gnome/cowboy moves this up to a 6.0. 

Rams

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Teams: VCU Rams, North Carolina Tar Heels

The University of North Carolina’s nickname has murky origins, but it’s almost certainly a war reference—either Revolutionary or Civil. In 1924, a UNC cheerleader decided the school needed a more symbolic mascot, and that’s how Rameses the ram came to be.

Both Rameses and Rodney the Ram at Virginia Commonwealth University have big horns, and they both look angry.

Intimidation Factor: 6.0

Cattle

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Teams: Buffalo Bulls, Texas Longhorns

Bevo the longhorn steer has been around the University of Texas since 1916 (although there have been several Bevos since then). Victor E. Bull (get it?) of the University at Buffalo is also a type of cattle, albeit a bit more intimidating.

I don’t want a ram coming at me, but I really don’t want a bull coming at me.

Intimidation Factor: 6.5

Thundar the Bison

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Team: North Dakota State Bison

In 1919, the head football coach at North Dakota State University, Stan Borleske, wanted a mascot that was stronger than an “Aggie.” According to TheSummitLeague.org, Bison were once numerous in North Dakota, and thus the mammoth animals were a good choice.

Since then, the team has also developed a secondary nickname: the Thundering Herd. Thundar himself is pretty beast-like, but then again, he's also smiling.

Intimidation Factor: 6.5

Blaze the Dragon

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Team: UAB Blazers

I’m going to go out on a limb and say that fire-breathing dragons are pretty intimidating. Then again, Blaze from the University of Alabama at Birmingham sort of reminds me of Barney the friendly dinosaur.

Intimidation Factor: 7.0

Dogs

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Teams: Wofford Terriers, Georgetown Hoyas, Albany Great Danes, Northeastern Huskies, Georgia Bulldogs, Butler Bulldogs, Gonzaga Bulldogs

Georgetown’s nickname is the Hoya, which, according to the team's website, is derived from a Greek-Latin cheer that students used to yell—“Hoya Saxa!”—which means “What Rocks!” However, its mascot is a bulldog named Jack. Originality is a bit lacking there, as three other tournament teams also have bulldogs as mascots.

Georgia's stuffed bulldog has pretty fierce teeth and a crazy collar, but he's still preferable to a bear.

Intimidation Factor: 7.5

Wolfpack

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Team: North Carolina State Wolfpack

Yes, wolves are in the dog family, but the North Carolina State Wolfpack don't seem to belong with Great Danes and terriers. NC State’s mascot is a Tamaskan dog named Tuffy. There’s also a fluffier version named Mr. Wuf. I don’t know about you, but a whole mess of Tuffys seems pretty scary.

Intimidation Factor: 8.0

Pirates

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Team: Hampton Pirates

One of the lesser-known schools in the tournament, Hampton University has one of the more intimidating mascots. Just look at that guy. Upset special, anyone?                                          

Intimidation Factor: 8.0

Soldiers

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Teams: Michigan State Spartans, Valparaiso Crusaders, Robert Morris Colonials, San Diego State Aztecs, Duke Blue Devils, Virginia Cavaliers, Xavier Musketeers

I’m taking a bit of liberty with the Colonials of Robert Morris University—RoMo looks more like a settler than a soldier, but hey, he could’ve been part of the colonial troops. Anyway, the rest of these guys are soldiers or warriors of some sort—yes, even the Blue Devils. According to the school's website, Duke University's mascot actually comes from “les Diables Bleus,” a unit of French soldiers in World War I.  

The English Civil War, the Crusades of the Middle Ages, the wars in Ancient Greece—all are represented by tournament mascots. Soldiers are trained to be threatening by nature, so as a group, these mascots are more intimidating than not.

Intimidation Factor: Sure, the Colonials aren't too scary, but the Michigan State Spartans and Blue Devils carry this group to an 8.5. 

Cats

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Teams: Northern Iowa Panthers, Georgia State Panthers, BYU Cougars, Lafayette Leopards, Davidson Wildcats, Villanova Wildcats, Arizona Wildcats, Kentucky Wildcats, Texas Southern Tigers, LSU Tigers

Well, there are no real creativity points for schools with cat-related mascots. Plus, come on, a wildcat doesn’t even look all that different from a house cat.

What are scary, however, are some of those fierce exotic cats like cougars and tigers. Louisiana State University actually has a live tiger mascot named Mike. Brigham Young University used to have live cougars, but they escaped once in 1929 and killed two dogs. And even though Pounce, the panther from Georgia State University, is stuffed, he’s still pretty frightening as far as stuffed animals go.

Intimidation Factor: 9.0

Bears

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Teams: Belmont Bruins, UCLA Bruins, Baylor Bears, Cincinnati Bearcats (sort of), Ole Miss Rebels   

The Rebels of Ole Miss originally represented Confederate soldiers, but in 2010, the university decided on a change, and ever since, the mascot has been "Rebel Black Bear." Bears are also represented by Baylor University (real bears!) and the Bruins of Belmont University and UCLA. The Bearcat of Cincinnati is defined as a "bear-cat," according to the team's website, which is not at all helpful, but regardless, I’m counting it.

Intimidation Factor: Real bears are scary. 9.0

WuShock

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Team: Wichita State Shockers

I know I said Brutus Buckeye lacks intimidation because he's a plant, so it would stand to reason that a bundle of wheat wouldn't be threatening either. Right, just tell that to WuShock at Wichita State University. Dude is terrifying.

Intimidation Factor: 9.0

Lumberjack

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Team: Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks

The mascot over at Stephen F. Austin State University in Texas is a real guy with a real axe. Also, the school's slogan is "Axe 'em, Jacks!" Yikes.

Intimidation Factor: 9.5