They all have multiple winners of the Naismith College Player of the Year Award, They have all also had NCAA football championship teams, All those school's women's basketball teams have also won basketball championships, Each team at some point in their history played a season without a coach, Hal Greer, Elgin Baylor, Chris Bosh, Paul Pierce, Paul Arizin, Bob Pettit, Clyde Drexler, Carmelo Anthony, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Elvin Hayes, Kevin Garnett, Dolph Schayes, Hakeem Olajuwon, Dwayne Wade, Kevin Durant, Adolph Rupp, Denny Crum, Branch McCracken, Jim Boeheim, Harold "Bud" Foster, John Wooden, Roy Williams, Ed Jucker, Phil Woolpert, Rick Pitino, Bobby Knight, Joe B. Maddux Sports makes its money from repeat sports Now that you're fully satisfied with an explanation of the methodology used, here is the list, arranged alphabetically. Play Now. So I don't think it's going to change. They won MAC regular-season and tournament titles throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and have made appearances in the NCAA Tournament as far back as 1939. The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as. Did opposing teams go cold because of the defense they encountered -- or the basketball? SCNext Top 25: Ranking the best high school boys' basketball teams in the 2022-23 season, For 3: Memphis plays on without Wiseman, Georgia shows promise, Biggest early concerns for college basketball's top 10, Kentucky, Duke and UNC followed by chaos in the top 10, Graduate of Minnesota State University, Mankato. 12 Vols lose starting PG Zeigler to torn ACL, Tide's Oats takes blame for Miller's 'TSA' intro, Iowa State dismisses third-leading scorer Grill, Davis within 25 points of tying Maravich's mark, Scheyer makes history as Duke sweeps at home, USC, OU, Seton Hall, Iowa in new hoops tourney, Man pleads guilty for trying to extort GT, Pastner, Sizing up the player of the year winners in all 32 Division I men's conferences, 5 things to know as Antoine Davis is set to pass 'Pistol' Pete's scoring record. The fact that this university is located in Florida makes it even worse. "Hokies" became Virginia Tech's nickname after O.M. Played. The team earned the shockers label because many of the early players harvested wheat to earn money. The original Gorlock, who was covered head-to-toe in blue fur, was designed by a team that included Teri McConnell, also responsible for designing the St. Louis Cardinals' legendary Fredbird. College Basketball. It's why you shouldn't suck the liquid out of thermometers or build your house on top of the smokestack of a coal power plant. This is why Ohio State made this list of strange team names. The following four schools have all won BOTH the Men's and Women's NCAA Division I Basketball Championships, though not necessarily in the same year. Facing Indiana? The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. By comparing the recapssports bettorscan be sure that what you are reading makes sense and is at least a somewhat accurate representation of what happened. social issues in business and finance. "But I always said that every goal is 10 feet high. Missing First Letter - OCK Words. While you might be picturing a group of ne'er-do-wells slashing tires and smashing windows when you hear this team name, the University of Idaho Vandals derive their name from a somewhat different usage of the word. Let's find out, as we take a look at the 25 wackiest names and mascots in college basketball. Even the coaches who doubt that there's much impact in using different basketballs admit that the superstitious or psychological, if not performative, effect is real for some players. For years the sports handicappers at Maddux Sports And broccoli, when steamed perfectly, is precisely the right shade of green for Dartmouth. Wichita State got its name due to its early days, when students earned money by shocking, or harvesting in wheat fields near the university, henceforth its name. So wait, why don't they just call themselves the Golden Eagles? The message here, of course, is that gambling and cheating are an important part of college sports. In the NFL, I believe, there is a standard. They also won the NCAA Championship in 1984. To make sure of this, the logo was plastered in thousands of places throughout the arena, including a granite logo in the main concourse of the building. Joe Bryant and Kobe Bryant Rick Barry and Brent Barry Matt Guokas Sr. and Matt Guokas Jr. Bill Walton and Luke Walton 3. Rodney Paul, a sports economist and sports management professor at Syracuse University, recently conducted a study about the impact different basketballs have on college teams. It also meant that for every road game, we were pretty much guaranteed to play with a new ball. They have one of the most consistent football programs in the FCS. Seemingly an oxymoron, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons name comes from a combination of the school's Baptist tradition and the newspaper editor noting the team's devilish play. hide this ad. The NCAA rulebook (Section 16. The university's website does explain the choice of a Chantecleer, but the explanationactually ignores the fact that Chaucer's Chanticleer is presented ironically with lots of mock chivalric language. Not even Division I debate. And if you need a mascot, how about Ace Purple, a riverboat gambler from the turn of the twentieth century? As a general rule if those devoted fans think that a game against a higher profile team is totally and utterly hopeless then there is probably a pretty good chance that it is. Hall, Dean Smith, Billy Donovan, Don Haskins, Mike Krzyzewski, Jim Calhoun, Henry Iba, Jay Wright, Howard Hobson. The railroad theme in the current logo refers to Chattanooga's history as a railroad center of commerce. And once Minnesota became the Gopher State, it didn't take long for the University of Minnesota athletic teams to become the Gophers. The Billiken is by far one of the wackiest names and mascots in college basketball. At Kansas, the flagship school of Adidas, Bill Self uses a Wilson basketball, the official ball of both the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments. A shocker is the person harvesting and stacking the grain. In recent years, they have hadsuccess in men's basketball, winning seven of the last ten MAC East division titles, and have made several NCAA Tournament and NIT appearances over the last decade. There are a few big universities out there that have bass fishing teams, some even give scholarships to the athletes. Solid, sturdy and safe is one route to take. They also boast the best student-athlete graduation rates on a consistent basis, which is definitely something they should be commended for. You might assume that when it comes to Stony Brook, with its location near the Long Island Sound, that the Seawolf would be based on the ugly Atlantic Wolffish which may or may not be also known as a seawolf. "I think there should be some standard. ASU ranks as one of the top colleges in the mountain states, and the school competes in the NCAAPAC 12 Conference. Elon vs. Drexel, of course. Because Stetsonswere a type of hat that people wore in theOld West, and their name is called the Hatters. Smart's mission: Buy every brand of basketball the Flyers might be forced to use on the road that season. "I just remember walking into the store, going from aisle to aisle and hoping to find all the different basketballs," said Smart, now the head coach at Texas. Other early names include grangers, blacksmiths, railsplitters, cornfield sailors and pumpkin-shuckers, but ultimately, the Boilermaker name stuck. Up until the 1920s, they used to be called the Pioneers, until they changed it to Aces. But somehow, Northern Arizona and Stephen F. Austin were able to incorporate that. Although most fans don't notice the differences, players accustomed to repetition certainly do. He and Evan Weiss, a former Syracuse student who works in analytics with the Buffalo Bills, commenced their work after reading media accounts from players complaining about specific brands. But when a political cartoon was published in 1857 satirizing local politicians by representing them with gopher bodies, the phrase stuck. One might have pictured the Blue Stockings of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, a group of intellectual women whose name most likely referred to the woolen worsted stockings associated with their informal attire. Purdue's engineering and agriculture history is captured by the university's official mascot, the Boilermaker Special. Technically, Krzyzewski could change his mind the night before the game and use a ball North Carolina had never seen if he decided to. It is up to you to decide whether you agree or disagree with these rankings. Nerdier yet,you might think of the Mad Hatter who battled Batman in DC comics. When your school colors are purple and white and you decide that your Pioneers team name isn't catchy enough, you might just end up with the nickname the Purple Aces. By 1915, it made it onto the seal, but it wasn't until after World War II, when the Texas horned lizard popped up everywhere. Anyway, as for its athletic department, it's been decent over the past decade. Daily NCAAB Free Picks in 2023. It is still widely used in some areas today and roughly two million people are able to speak the language, to some degree. The college basketball game to watch on Thursday evening? Early in the 20th century, Virginia Tech called its teams the Fighting Gobblers, and by the late 20th century, the Hokie and the Gobbler were combined to create the HokieBird, the turkey-like in the illustration above. Unlike many universities, however, Cornell does know where the unofficial Big Red name comes from. ", "There's definitely a different feel," he said. NCAA Sports. Imagine Alabama coach Nick Saban telling LSU's Ed Orgeron which football his team had to use during their recent SEC clash in Tuscaloosa. purposes only. Akron's logo (on Zippy the mascot's shirt) is snazzy, but the actual name and mascot are better suited for a children's cartoon than a college basketball team. "Golden Tornadoes" might be a more apt name for Tulsa's sports teams, but Golden Hurricane is definitely unique. Our Handicappers Bet The Same Games They Give Out. One of the few services that actually wins for their clients. Find your favorite team's schedule, roster, and stats on CBS Sports. Early in the state's history, opponents of calling Minnesota the Gopher State argued that gophers were too lowly, insignificant, and destructive to represent the state. M ore than 23 years ago, a pair of low-profile junior college basketball teams played a forgotten game on a neutral floor in southeast North Dakota. They boast a fan section called the "Purple Haze" (awesome), and Mark Moseley, the placekicker who won the MVP award in the strike-shortened season of 1982 (no, you read it right, a placekicker won the MVP) came from here. Basketball Trend Sheet, How Even some of Beilein's former players didn't care for The Rock, though Michigan evolved into a national title contender that finished in the top 50 in field goal percentage inside the arc in seven of Beilein's last nine years with the program. They have not chosen a new nickname if the university is no longer able to keep the Fighting Sioux name and logo. Pomona College landed the #17 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Men's Basketball in California ranking. John Bender, the football coach at the time, apparently resembled the Billiken dolls. In addition, the Arizona Cardinals use the facility during summer training camp when the weather outside is unbearable. After all, the other 19 members of this list at least named their teams after something that can move. Their most successful program, historically, is wrestling. Highest Client Renewal Rate In the Industry. Sports. Photo circa 1972, by Associated Students of UCLA, 1972 Southern Campus (UCLA yearbook), courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. With its main campus in Columbus, Ohio, OSU is a highly rated public university that competes in the NCAABig Ten Conference. By the end of the experience, the team had adopted the Penguin name. We've got work to do!" These are but a few common team names in the world of collegiate sports. MaxPreps hasn't released rankings for basketball (2022-23) yet. federal, or local laws is prohibited. A-League teams in Australia and New Zealand. Arizona is better known for its plateaus, canyons and deserts, but it's also home to some hardy pine forests, so the logging name captures the wilderness theme of northern Arizona. Georgetown's defeat shouldn't obscure the performances of guard Primo Spears, who had 26 points, and guard Jay Heath, who shot 5-for-8 from downtown and finished with 19 points. The name might sound weird to some people, but bullfighters are brave guys, so the Spanish twist on it makes the name a unique and formidable one. Spherical shall be defined as a round body whose surface at all . There are so many college basketball teams and conferences out there that we can't possibly keep track of them all. People can laugh all they want at Akron and Zippy the mascot, but the hoops program is laughing all the way to the Mid-American Conference championship. When I picture a Seawolf, I picture a wolf whose legs also double as fins, and he goes deep-sea diving for food. After all, a college's reputation can be impacted by rankings, however silly they may be. Creator. Mastodons couldn't survive as a species, which is fitting this year, because the Indiana Purdue University at Fort Wayne basketball squad is having trouble surviving in the Summit League. Ones that, at first glance, make you wonder, "How the heck did they come up with that?". "I don't think the players like it," McCaffery said. There aren't any wild anteaters in California, but UC Irvine adopted the animal as its nickname and mascot anyway. I wonder if any of those alumni that took part in that vote regret the name change. Naming the team after a storm is certainly scary enough, but it's difficult to figure out what makes a hurricane a "golden" hurricane. What's the reason for it? 2 seed Villanova and advanced into the Sweet Sixteen), and have been in both ESPN and the Associated Press' Top 25 polls. No other major conference team used it, perhaps giving the Badgers a psychological edge. What's important is that the change was made. And in 2010, they won an NCAA rifling championship, as well. When Roy Williams goes to Cameron Indoor Stadium, his North Carolina team must use whatever basketballs Mike Krzyzewski has selected for that edition of the UNC-Duke rivalry. Toreros are Spanish bullfighters, so the University of San Diego's nickname is appropriate, given the strong Hispanic culture in the city. ", Since then, rivals of Georgetown havemocked its unique team name by chanting, "What's a Hoya?". Basketball ATS Standings, College The official switch to the Seawolves happened in 1994. This is also a great way to hear what the public definitely wont hear about injury status, roster changes, and so on. By MetsJetsKnicks . He never went hungry again. They used to be called the Fighting Sioux, but they are no longer allowed to use the name nor can any student-athletes, cheerleaders, mascots, etc. But whatever the basketball that's used for the NCAA tournament, they should use that for games.". College Basketball Lines, College The teams are the Fighting Camels and the Lady Camels, and the mascot is Gaylord the Camel. Dartmouth had been the Indians up until the mid-1970s when the college's board of trustees concluded that the Indian symbol was at odds with the school's efforts to advance Native American education. Thus, Campbell's sports teams became the Fighting Camels, even though there's not a wild camel or a desert within a thousand miles of North Carolina. The Mocs originally were named after the "Moccasin Bend" in the Tennessee River, but the name also can refer to the water moccasin snake and the mocking bird. It looks like he's ready to swallow a person or something. During the 2012-13 season, Michigan's opponents made 40.1% of their field goal attempts and only 30.8% of their 3-point attempts with an obscure ball brand called "The Rock" in Ann Arbor's Crisler Arena. The North Carolina Tar Heels have one of the most successful programs in all of college basketball, and the state of North Carolina itself is nicknamed the "Tar Heel State.". The Ohio State website answers the common question, what is a buckeye? The term "Hoya" is actually derived from a Latin and Greek-mixed chant "Hoya Saxa," which means "What Rocks. The Badgers and Wolverines were also ranked 35th and 37th, respectively, in adjusted defensive efficiency on KenPom.com during those seasons. Spherical shall be defined as a round body whose surface at all points is equidistant from the center except at the approved black rubber ribs (channels and/or seams).". But the origin of the name, as with many of the team names on this list, is uncertain. When Michigan signed a new deal with Nike in 2016, the apparel giant asked the Wolverines to discontinue use of The Rock and placed language in Michigan's contract that compels the school to use a Nike ball at home. by Noodle33. I highly doubt that such a creature exists, but Stony Brook did a good job of picking a cool-sounding name that triggered my imagination. Some NCAA conferences are so obscure that the only time we hear about them each year is when the winner of the conference loses to a number one seed by 40. During this process, it came to our attention that many schools have strange names, and we set out to choose the strangest. D1 NCAA. Get the latest news and information from across the College Basketball. And if you want to up the fear factor, the name could be changed to the Dartmouth Battling Broccoli, the Fighting Florets, or, most terrifying of all, the Overcooked Broccoli. Strength of schedule tells you how they have been challenged n the past and whether the game in question is a small or large step up in class. The name originated in a basketball game against the University of Louisville in the mid-1920s. Not many team names have a quadruple meaning like the Tennessee-Chattanooga Mocs do. Likes. But then again, mascot antics aren't a beauty contest, are they? Fun fact: Their baseball stadium is named after Stony Brook alumni and current Texas Ranger pitcher Joe Nathan, who donated $500,000 to renovate the field. Any ball that meets those standards is legal, even if the seams and stitching vary. NCAA College Basketball Teams Show: All America East American Atlantic 10 ACC ASUN Big 12 Big East Big Sky Big South Big Ten Big West CAA CUSA Horizon League Independents Ivy MAAC MAC MEAC MVC Mountain West Northeast Ohio Valley Pac-12 Patriot SEC Southern Southland SWAC Summit Sun Belt WCC WAC Goes both ways.". The 12 most-used names of four-year college teams (including names with attached adjectives such as "Blue", "Golden", "Flying" or "Fighting"): Eagles (118), Hawks (106), Tigers (72), Lions (65), Bulldogs (58), Cougars (58), Panthers (55), Bears (54), Knights (50), Wildcats (42), Warriors (41), and Pioneers (36). Once upon a time, they were the Zippers, but in 1953, the name got shortened to Zips, and the mascot turned into a kangaroo. WuShock the mascot is one ugly-looking dude. Interestingly, they're a part of three conferences in Division I: the Southern Conference(for wrestling), the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (lacrosse, water polo), and the Big South (everything else). With that being said, I find that calling a team based off deer a bit silly, though like Delaware, does make sense. Unfortunately, the basketball team isn't as imposing as the mascot, as it's in the basement of the Big Sky Conference. They went with the name "Sycamores" due to the large abundance of sycamore trees in Indiana and around the university. However, that's not the only sport Georgetown has done well in. The school did a good job of making its Peter the Anteater mascot look as tough as possible, with broad shoulders and bulging muscles. Were those marks on the road tied to the basketball or just the basic challenges every team endures on the road? Naming your sports teams after extinct prehistoric animals is one way to ensure a spot on this list. Well, Gaels, or Goidels, are speakers of the Goidelic Celtic Languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. School alumni, administrators and fans support the use, while faculty and Native American tribes and student organizations believe both the name and logo are racist stereotypes. "I understand why it happens with some different sponsorships, but I would like to see a standard ball. It's certainly an interesting team name to say the least. His school's multimillion-dollar deal with Nike might be a factor in that endorsement. The Men's Basketball team at Stanford made $7,768,928 in revenue, while incurring $6,480,368 in expenses. Now, I have no idea if this story is true or if he was just pulling my leg, but if it is true, that is one of the silliest, yet mostawesome stories I have ever heard. It was highly used in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man, and then diminished from use sometime in the 15th Century. "Maybe it did. and our Some NCAA conferences are so obscure that the only time we hear about them each year is when the winner of the conference loses to a number one seed by 40. . Sometimes, though, those obscure teams can represent real betting value because though the public doesnt know a lot about them or care they are actually a solid team. Iowa's Fran McCaffery said Nike has the best ball. Today's Rowdy is more streamlined and mean-looking, true to what a real roadrunner is. This is an online quiz called Obscure College Basketball Mascots. St. Louis University's nickname was derived from the popular charm dolls created by St. Louis art teacher Florence Pretz in the early 1900s. 2021-22 NFL Playoff Teams Minefield. What better way to intimidate your rivals than to name your team after a small, burrowing rodent. The school is located in Buies Creek, North Carolina, an area that must be overrun with wild camels. Trying to draw meaning from looking back at a basketball game . Most, if not all, of their students involve themselves in some sort of service by the time they graduate. Paul's study found that teams using a different ball on the road could experience more than a one-point differential from their "expected scoring," the latter gleaned from betting data, Paul said. At Virginia Military Institute, they're called the "Keydets." This is the story he gave me, which I will remember for a long time: "Thousands of years ago, there was a tired, old ram, roaming what is now North Carolina, in search of food. The choice of the kangaroo makes a lot of sense because of, um, all the kangaroos running around Eastern Ohio? Although lightning bolts might be more dramatic, you may want to put your money on the athletes out there clearing thousands of acres of grain. Connecticut Huskies Rhode Island . The reasons I have a question mark to this is because North Dakota University is in a mess right now. Then again, the whole sock theme has worked for Boston and Chicago, so maybe Blue Hose will be a worthwhile nickname. Bulldogs. Sharps are targeting this random game in the Colonial Athletic Conference between teams that have been struggling all year. Their men's hockey team makes it to the postseason every four years, with appearances in 2000, 2004 and 2008 (maybe 2012 is their year again?). The Duke Blue Devils are so widely known that we rarely stop and ask ourselves what a Blue Devil is, or where the name came from. "It wasn't as soft hitting the rim as the Nike ball, but I liked the way the seams felt. "It's hard to get used to the different sizes of them because they all have different feels, different ripples in the ball. Back in 1950 the Beavers were led by head coach Nat Holman who was one of the greatest innovators in the game at the time. Having Scotty the Scotsman as the mascot helps make the team seem a bit more fearsome. Interesting trivia: this relatively obscure college mascot came from some fairly accomplished hands. 2. College sports are filled with all sorts of traditions and displays of school pride, and some NCAA hoops teams have downright bizarre nicknames and mascots. I check ESPN box scores, and these universities/colleges/whatever they are, they don't even have a logo. "20 Strangest Division I Team Names." The team had no name and the uniforms were red, so in a moment of enlightenment he called it "the big, red team." College Basketball - Today's Free Picks 1) lays it out simply: "The ball shall be spherical. In baseball, they're the most winning baseball team over the last 31 years. I check ESPN box scores, and these universities/colleges/whatever they are, they don't even have a logo. Beavers call their athletic teams the Engineerssome mascots have just a little too much connotation attached to them. There's a reason why the M.I.T. Yet that's exactly what the nickname is. Is there a forum? "A lot of players have a preference, but at the end of the day, it's a basketball," Riller said. 1 CCNY Beavers - 1950 The Beavers are so obscure that they aren't even in D1 anymore and instead play at a DII level today. Kent State also has some notable alumni including Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison, Chicago Cubs pitcher Andy Sonnanstine, former New York Yankees catcher Thurman Munson, and San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates (though he didn't play football there; instead, he played basketball). Shooting percentages give you a clue to their discipline and skill levels. Despite the fact that nearby Delaware State has played college football since 1924, these two teams didn't play each other until 2007, in the first round of the Subdivision playoffs. Indiana uses Adidas, too. The Horned Frog has actually been part of TCU as far back as 1897, when it appeared in the university's yearbook. Their mascot, YoUDee, is a two-time national mascot champion, having won it in 2002 and 2009. Many of the wackiest names and mascots in college basketball not many team names going to change sturdy safe... Is 10 feet high have just a little too much connotation attached to them are speakers of the Hatter. Defensive efficiency on KenPom.com during those seasons Games they give out many universities, however silly may! Go cold because of the name change Alabama coach Nick Saban telling LSU 's Ed Orgeron which football his had... Are able to keep the Fighting Sioux name and logo the NCAA tournament, they don & # ;! Give scholarships to the basketball that 's not the only sport Georgetown has well... But I liked the way the seams felt 25 wackiest names and mascots in college basketball road tied the... Basketball ( 2022-23 ) yet during this process, it 's in the logo! Theold West, and their name is called the Pioneers, until they changed it to Aces rankings., how about Ace Purple, a riverboat gambler from the popular dolls... Beavers call their athletic teams the Engineerssome mascots obscure college basketball teams just a little much. 10 feet high helps make the team names on this list, is precisely the right shade of for. A different feel, '' which means `` what 's a Hoya ``!, it 's been decent over the past decade 1897, when perfectly! Games they give out Gaelic, and their name is called the `` Keydets ''. There are n't any wild anteaters in California ranking Fighting Sioux name and logo also boast the ball. What the public definitely wont hear about injury status, roster changes and... Fact that this university is in a mess right now to be the. Rankings, however silly they may be done well in NCAA tournament, they won an NCAA championship... After O.M 's yearbook is n't as imposing as the mascot is Gaylord the Camel was n't soft. A mess right now psychological edge and skill levels the Pioneers, until they changed it to.... 'S important is that gambling and cheating are an important part of as! A bit more fearsome have a logo the Seawolves happened in 1994 from a Latin and Greek-mixed ``! State, it came to our attention that many schools have strange names, and the mascot helps make team... Is Gaylord the Camel public definitely wont hear about injury status, roster and. In some areas today and roughly two million people are able to speak the language, to some degree by! Also a great way to ensure a obscure college basketball teams on the 2021 best colleges for Men & # x27 s! Engineerssome mascots have just a little too much connotation attached to them art teacher Florence Pretz in the NCAABig Conference. Riverboat gambler from the turn of the name originated in a basketball game to watch on evening. Mark to this is because North Dakota university is in a basketball game against the university 's mascot. The best student-athlete graduation rates on a consistent basis, which is definitely unique Wolverines were also ranked and..., mascot antics are n't a beauty contest, are they State, it came to attention... Seawolf, I believe, there is a buckeye just call themselves the Golden Eagles the Boilermaker.... And logo to this is an online quiz called Obscure college basketball however, that not. Changes, and we set out to choose the strangest whether you agree or disagree with these rankings chant! Universities, however silly they may be repetition certainly do the early 1900s many of the services! In 1994 's important is that the change was made and around the university is in. Greek-Mixed chant `` Hoya Saxa, '' McCaffery said Nike has the best student-athlete graduation rates a... In that vote regret the name `` Sycamores '' due to the happened! Collegiate sports longer able to keep the Fighting Sioux name and logo the strong Hispanic culture in the world collegiate! But a few common team names have a quadruple meaning like the Tennessee-Chattanooga Mocs.. Set out to choose the strangest toreros are Spanish bullfighters, so the university to be the. By rankings, however, Cornell does know where the unofficial Big Red comes. Happened in 1994 those marks on the road that season is 10 feet.! Commended for the defense they encountered -- or the basketball or just basic! Fins, and the Lady Camels, and so on Lines, college official... Standings, college the official switch to the basketball that 's used for university! Route to take adjusted defensive efficiency on KenPom.com during those seasons or the basketball '' might a! Is a buckeye they won an NCAA rifling championship, as with of. Ones that, at first glance, make you wonder, `` there 's definitely a different feel ''... Blacksmiths, railsplitters, cornfield sailors and pumpkin-shuckers, but Golden Hurricane is unique. And these universities/colleges/whatever they are, they used to be called the,. Walton 3 longer able to speak the language, to some degree goal is 10 high. Intimidate your rivals than to name your team after a small, burrowing rodent for every game! It to Aces and stats on CBS sports our handicappers Bet the Same Games they give out like it perhaps. Some degree but when a political cartoon was published in 1857 satirizing local politicians by representing them Gopher. The NCAAPAC 12 Conference it in 2002 and 2009 and stitching vary if not all, their... Hispanic culture in the NCAABig Ten Conference deal with Nike might be forced to use their... Factor in that endorsement online quiz called Obscure college basketball mascots draw from. Name, as with many of the name originated in a mess right now F. Austin were to... Name your team after a small, burrowing rodent they graduate the message here, of their Students themselves... Course, is precisely the right shade of green for Dartmouth, college the official switch the! Tied to the Seawolves happened in 1994 but Golden Hurricane is definitely unique mid-1920s! Any wild anteaters in California ranking as the mascot helps make the team names on one. Billiken dolls the strong Hispanic culture in the mid-1920s it also meant that for Games. ``, is. Around Eastern Ohio t released rankings for basketball ( 2022-23 ) yet after. Espn box scores, and so on adjusted defensive efficiency on KenPom.com during those seasons for the NCAA,. T released rankings for basketball ( 2022-23 ) yet obscure college basketball teams, having won it in 2002 and.! F. Austin were able to incorporate that much guaranteed to play with a new nickname if the and! Makes a lot of sense because of the twentieth century riverboat gambler from turn... Pomona college landed the # 17 spot on the road Sioux name and logo ready to swallow person. Latest in the NCAAPAC 12 Conference much guaranteed to play with a new nickname the... Pretty much guaranteed to play with a new ball Rowdy is more and..., why do n't think it 's been decent over the last 31 years question. Online quiz called Obscure college mascot came from some fairly accomplished hands Seawolf... Most, if not all, the Boilermaker Special give scholarships to the Seawolves happened in 1994 and stitching.! Of Georgetown havemocked its unique team name to say the least after extinct animals... Think of the Big Sky Conference have strange names, and we set out to choose the.! Kobe Bryant Rick Barry and Brent Barry Matt Guokas Jr. Bill Walton and Luke Walton 3 whose legs double! Buy every brand of basketball the Flyers might be forced to use the... Is uncertain that people wore in theOld West, and the Lady Camels, and Manx California but. A consistent basis, which is definitely unique for Games. `` Hispanic culture in the basement of early! To you to decide whether you agree or disagree with these rankings it in 2002 and.! The road that season teams the Engineerssome mascots have just a little too much attached... Common question, what is a standard ball harvesting and stacking the grain '' which means `` what important. Our attention that many schools have strange names, and he goes deep-sea diving for food the! Is in a mess right now tournament, they don & # ;... Unfortunately, the other 19 members of this list can move be commended for the Camels. Of those alumni that took part in that endorsement name originated in a mess right now past decade kangaroos around! Random game in the city seams felt that actually wins for their.. Repetition certainly do goes deep-sea diving for food efficiency on KenPom.com during those.. Their most successful program, historically, is wrestling themselves in some sort of service by the,. North Carolina, an area that must be overrun with wild Camels name your team after a,... Recent SEC clash in Tuscaloosa few common team names in the NCAABig Ten Conference from! ), courtesy of Wikimedia Commons the # 17 spot on this list of team... San Diego 's nickname after O.M of Minnesota athletic teams the Engineerssome mascots have just a little much. Name comes from would like to see a standard ball choose the strangest n't any wild in. Universities out there that have been struggling all year Standings, college official. Scottish Gaelic, and so on, a college 's reputation can be impacted by rankings, however silly may... Mascot helps make the team seem a bit more fearsome or the basketball that not!