Language. Okay, the history isn't so glorious, but kangaroo does rhyme with KCU, and in that historic year when the university chose its mascot, the Kansas City Zoo had just purchased two baby kangaroos. The team earned the shockers label because many of the early players harvested wheat to earn money. 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. Duke derived its nickname from a celebrated group of World War I French troops who were dubbed "Les Diables Bleu.". Let's find out, as we take a look at the 25 wackiest names and mascots in college basketball. "It's hard to get used to the different sizes of them because they all have different feels, different ripples in the ball. As for Stephen F. Austin, in football, they won the Southland conference championship in 2010, their first since 1989. Then, in the 1970s, a local newspaper artist created their new mascot, named "Ace Purple." The term "Hoya" is actually derived from a Latin and Greek-mixed chant "Hoya Saxa," which means "What Rocks. No other major conference team used it, perhaps giving the Badgers a psychological edge. Look at how they have performed against teams you do know Trying to draw meaning from looking back at a basketball game between two obscure teams is mostly useless because you lack context to make what you learn relevant. Their current mascot is a wolf, but I guess the "St. Bonaventure Wolves" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. In college football, I don't think there is. During the 2011-12 season, Novak made 28.3% of his 3-point attempts at home and 53.7% of his 3-point attempts on the road, per ESPN Stats & Info. Saint Louis has experienced some. Like me, you're probably wondering what a billiken is? And if you need a mascot, how about Ace Purple, a riverboat gambler from the turn of the twentieth century? ", Since then, rivals of Georgetown havemocked its unique team name by chanting, "What's a Hoya?". It's a replica nineteenth-century steam locomotive that, quite frankly, could easily squash the mascots of most of the schools on this list. "I remember that.". Nebraska coach and former Iowa State sharpshooter Fred Hoiberg, a 40% college 3-point shooter who thrived from distance during a 10-year NBA career, says a basketball brand can affect a game, which is why he'd like to see a permanent change. 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. Halfway through, though, hesunk to the bottom of the pit, and it seemed like he was dead. 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. What's important is that the change was made. Solid, sturdy and safe is one route to take. It's not entirely clear whether Stony Brook is worthy of inclusion on this list since the Seawolf really isn't a unique mascot. Cookie Notice I wonder if any of those alumni that took part in that vote regret the name change. All the players on the team were from New York City. The school did a good job of making its Peter the Anteater mascot look as tough as possible, with broad shoulders and bulging muscles. My university, Quinnipiac, used to face these guys often, as Stony Brook used to be a member of the Northeast Conference, but now they play in the Big South in football and in the America East for the other sports. To those that don't know, the blue hen chicken is actually the state bird of Delaware, so it does make sense why they went for this name. Although Nike and Michigan now have an arrangement, coaches without a similar contractual obligation are free to make a switch at any time, just like Ryan and Beilein did. We've got work to do!" It was all in the spirit of coaching.". The Men's Basketball team at Stanford made $7,768,928 in revenue, while incurring $6,480,368 in expenses. D1 NCAA. 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. They are a more recent addition to Division I sports. And their university is named after the guy who first created the Stetson hat! The term usually refers to something fast or something that zips up, but the reality for this university seems to be a little of both. But where the heck did the name came from? NCAA Division I Basketball Colleges. Of course the Saint Louis University Billikens had to make this list of strange team names and mascots. 52. Ryan told Adidas, his school's former sponsor, that he wanted to make his own deal to use a Sterling ball at Wisconsin, and the apparel company gave him the green light. Purdue, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, ranks among the top public universities and top engineering schools in the country. With all the camels living in the United States, it's surprising that Campbell University is the only school in the country to adopt the camel for the branding of its athletic programs. Missing First Letter - OCK Words. Creator. Toreros are Spanish bullfighters, so the University of San Diego's nickname is appropriate, given the strong Hispanic culture in the city. VMI is best known for their two years in men's basketball, in 1976 and 1977. In those years, respectively, Wisconsin and Michigan reached the national title game. Find moneyline, over/under, and ATS free predictions from the big college basketball games to the obscure games. The Ball Art. A "buckeye" is the seed or nut from an aesculus plant, the official state tree of Ohio. Unlike many universities, however, Cornell does know where the unofficial Big Red name comes from. If they keep it up, the 2011 NIT champions will have an opportunity to harvest a few wins in the NCAA Tournament this spring. By the end of the experience, the team had adopted the Penguin name. 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. . The mascot Rameses was inspired by a good luck tradition back in the 1920s, when the Tar Heels brought it to games against Virginia Military Institute. One thing's for sure: Teams in the America East Conference don't want to mess with the hardwood version of the Seawolves. Look at local and campus newspapers The internet has been a remarkable accomplishment for humanity for countless reasons. Still, you'll find that your computer puts red squiggles under the word seawolf, and even the teams that have the mascot don't agree on what it is. Theres no better way to get a quick sense of how a basketballteam is playing and what they are capable of than by reading what the people who see them every day have to say. 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?). But coaches can and do deviate from a university's brand. Deals with apparel companies determine the sneakers and jerseys teams wear, and the influence of shoe companies has been a prominent theme in the recent FBI probe into illegalities in college basketball recruiting. 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. 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. Naming the team after a storm is certainly scary enough, but it's difficult to figure out what makes a hurricane a "golden" hurricane. As a member of the prestigious Ivy League, Cornell University must have had a lot of brain power to draw from when it needed to come up with a team name and mascot. Then again, neither does the color purple Also, that mascot kind of freaks me out. The consensus: Coaches and players dislike it. His team became known as "Bender's Billikens.". "Maybe it did. Unfortunately, the basketball team isn't as imposing as the mascot, as it's in the basement of the Big Sky Conference. Spherical shall be defined as a round body whose surface at all . . Kansas, for example, keeps a rack of 15 basketballs representing the five or six basketball brands the team will use throughout the season. The origins of the name "Boilermakers" goes as far back as 1891. North Carolina's nickname and mascot don't match at all, but there's special meaning behind them. The Germanic Vandals are often connected to Vendel, a province in eastern Sweden, and this is why our artist's illustration of a Vandal looks like a Viking and why the mascot, Joe Vandal, also looks remarkably similar to a Viking. College Division: 1949: 1957: Disbanded Gulf Star Conference: Division I: 1984: 1987: Effectively absorbed by the Southland Conference . The actual definition of the word is a bit less awe inspiring: one who harvests wheat. Why? Now you may be asking yourself why an article on the most unusual mascots and team names has two schools with kangaroos (remember the Akron Zips?). It's certainly an interesting team name to say the least. 20 Strangest Division I Team Names. Then again, the whole sock theme has worked for Boston and Chicago, so maybe Blue Hose will be a worthwhile nickname. Husky Basketball Celebrates Sophomore Night. I get it. The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers are one of the few teams on this list with a clear origin story. The fact that this university is located in Florida makes it even worse. Yes, debate. 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. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Basketball ATS Standings, College College Basketball, How Sports Bettors Use Big Betting Line Moves, Understanding Baseball Runline - Alternate Bet. Joe Bryant and Kobe Bryant Rick Barry and Brent Barry Matt Guokas Sr. and Matt Guokas Jr. Bill Walton and Luke Walton 3. Today's Top Quizzes in Sports Teams. 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). (2020, August 27). A billiken was a charm doll used in the early 20th century used to give luck to anyone who purchased one. Dartmouth is a member of the Ivy League and boasts the lowest acceptance rate of any school on this list. The proliferation of basketballs is tied to the role of shoe companies in college basketball. With the new name, the school needed a new cheer. 9. Dr. Allen Grove is an Alfred University English professor and a college admissions expert with over 20 years of experience helping students transition to college. The ball must also have a circumference of 29.5 to 30 inches. Having Scotty the Scotsman as the mascot helps make the team seem a bit more fearsome. East Los Angeles. Meanwhile,. Georgia Tech went with a Russell Athletic basketball before making the switch to Adidas apparel last year. Their men's basketball has also had success; in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, they possess more wins than any other team, have won a league record seven titles, and have made nine NCAA Tournament appearances since their inception in 1940. Quiz Type. Another possibility is that people in the Ivy League really don't care all that much about athletics. The Purdue University website asks the question in many of our minds: What is a Boilermaker? Basketball Injury Report, College Whatever a Sun Devil is, it belongs on this list. Two-pointers were more affected than 3-pointers. When I picture a Seawolf, I picture a wolf whose legs also double as fins, and he goes deep-sea diving for food. With March Madness 2012 beginning tonight, let's take a look at 20 of the oddest team names in all of Division I sports. They're fast, they have strong legs, and they wear size 18 shoes like the best basketball stars. To reduce any loss or weakness to the brand of a basketball would be overstating things. They're also in this year's NCAA Tournament. Fun Fact: Legendary NFL coach Bill Parcells was a linebacker and later a graduate assistant at Wichita State in the early 1960s. However, what's most known about this university is not its athletics, but its commitment to service. The fact that penguins live almost exclusively in the southern hemisphere shouldn't discourage this theory. These are but a few common team names in the world of collegiate sports. 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. In baseball, they're the most winning baseball team over the last 31 years. In addition, the Arizona Cardinals use the facility during summer training camp when the weather outside is unbearable. 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. 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. 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. smileyhou12. Hickok Sports: Not a fancy site, but one filled with tons of information about every sport imaginable from college to pro. I remember from years ago when I went to a college recruitment fair at my high school. Shooting percentages give you a clue to their discipline and skill levels. WuShock the mascot is one ugly-looking dude. Campell University is a member of the NCAABig South Conference. "The fact we were familiar with it [was an advantage]," Hayes said of the Sterling ball, which Wisconsin has since replaced with a Wilson ball during the Greg Gard era. However, don't let it's odd team name fool you; Georgetown has done very well as a member of the Big East Conference. "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. Indiana uses Adidas, too. After shutting out rival Wabash College 44-0, the local paper headline the game, "Slaughter of Innocents: Wabash Snowed Completely Under by the Burly Boiler Makers from Purdue.". It's just more difficult to play on the road, which is why the NCAA recently created the NET metric for tournament selection; the metric increased the value of road wins compared with their value in the RPI. But who really cares who made the change? There are, after all, 76 U.S. college teams known as the Eagles. Filecoin Network; Filecoin Foundation Naming your team after a pair of blue socks or stockings isn't exactly intimidating, but that's exactly what Big South competitor Presbyterian did. Let me give credit where credit is due. If you know, for example, how well one of their previous opponents plays how they stack up against good teams, their style of play, their betting performance, and so on then by looking at how the obscure NCAAteam performed against them can teach you a lot. This is another case of a cool-looking mascot making up for a peculiar nickname. Now, if you raise the goal above 10 feet, now we've got a problem.". Find your favorite team's schedule, roster, and stats on CBS Sports. A quick look at simple statistics by a savvy college basketball handicapper no calculations required can tellthem much more about a team than the betting public will ever know. Canisius College's fantasy creature seems like it would be the ultimate predator, but the basketball team hasn't been so threatening; it's 1-15 in the MAAC. "I don't like it. "I remember other players telling me how much they hated the Sterling ball and how we were the only ones who used it. 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. The name originated in a basketball game against the University of Louisville in the mid-1920s. To Bet College Basketball, Handicap He surpassed the 1,000-point mark during his four seasons with the Wildcats in the Big Ten, and led the team last season in scoring (14.6 points per game), rebounding (6.5 boards per game), 3 . Elon vs. Drexel, of course. 3. by Noodle33. 2 seed Villanova and advanced into the Sweet Sixteen), and have been in both ESPN and the Associated Press' Top 25 polls. If the ball is ever to be standardized in college, the discussion -- like so many issues in the game -- will have to begin with coaches. 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. Simon & Schuster, 1990. It must weigh between 20 and 22 ounces. But when a political cartoon was published in 1857 satirizing local politicians by representing them with gopher bodies, the phrase stuck. That's where the chaos ensues. Maddux Sports makes its money from repeat sports 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. Today's Rowdy is more streamlined and mean-looking, true to what a real roadrunner is. The Ohio State website answers the common question, what is a buckeye? 1) lays it out simply: "The ball shall be spherical. The name, however, is more than a simple reference to the school's color. Stony Brook, like Alaska, defines the seawolf as a mythical sea creature. That name sounds a bit risque, don't you think? Feeling intimidated? Iowa's Fran McCaffery said Nike has the best ball. Whatever the case, Cornell University has been around for nearly 150 years and still does not have an official mascot or team name. If a conference officially sponsors an NCAA "emerging sport" for women (as of 2020, acrobatics . Any ball that meets those standards is legal, even if the seams and stitching vary. We all get it. UC Santa Barbara's moniker is the Gauchos, which are more or less old South American cowboys. have been making money for us and our clients betting the strongest Instead, their official mascot is the Boilermaker Special, a Victorian-era locomotive that was inspired by the trains that transported teams and fans to other cities for games. The school's mascot is called Super Frog, and he's one of the spookiest-looking amphibians I've ever seen. Daily NCAAB Free Picks in 2023. Is there a forum? Which 16 teams should you buy or fade ahead of March Madness? 3. In bold letters at the top of the page, the college declares, "A Blue Hose is a fierce Scottish warrior. But coaches make every effort to ensure that their players prepare with the right balls to minimize any advantage for the opposing team, real or imagined. Our rankings algorithm requires a minimum number of games played before we can accurately rank teams. 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. 90s. Northern Arizona's team name isn't too bizarre, but it is quite uncommon. They all have different feels. Anyway, as for its athletic department, it's been decent over the past decade. NCAA Sports. This is also a great way to hear what the public definitely wont hear about injury status, roster changes, and so on. Highest Client Renewal Rate In the Industry. 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. NCAA School. "But I always said that every goal is 10 feet high. The creature was supposed to bring good luck, and it was once transformed into all kinds of kitschhood ornaments, coin banks, belt buckles, pickle forks, key chains, statuettes, and other forms of eBay treasure. I wonder what the St. Bonaventure men's basketball team thinks about the nickname, considering Bonnie is traditionally a woman's name. What is known is that in 1946, the school's moniker suddenly changed from the Bulldogs to the Sun Devils. Facing Indiana? For years the sports handicappers at Maddux Sports For them to remove the logos would be very costly as a result. 1. The favored team was a school best known for . And once Minnesota became the Gopher State, it didn't take long for the University of Minnesota athletic teams to become the Gophers. John Bender, the football coach at the time, apparently resembled the Billiken dolls. After all, global warming hadn't taken effect yet. 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. Obscure College Basketball Alumni Can you match the non-Power Five School to their famous NBA alumni? "It's not anything new to us. "But it seemingly was dismissed because of all the contracts and sponsorships in place. For something that's supposed to be a big stalk of wheat, that's pretty impressive. The Ball Art. Dartmouth, one of the oldest colleges in the country, has never been able to settle on a mascot and consequently has none. In the NFL, I believe, there is a standard. Their mascot, YoUDee, is a two-time national mascot champion, having won it in 2002 and 2009. A senior, who may or may not have been sober at the time, won a contest with this: The beauty of this composition assured its immortality. That's righta buckeye is a nut. Do a statistical survey Looking at statistics and how they compare to their opponent is always a part of handicapping at least it hopefully. Top Public Universities in the United States, GPA, SAT and ACT Data for Top Virginia Colleges, Coastal Carolina University: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics, Top Middle Atlantic Colleges and Universities, Dartmouth College: Acceptance Rate and Admissions Statistics, Ph.D., English, University of Pennsylvania, M.A., English, University of Pennsylvania, B.S., Materials Science & Engineering and Literature, MIT. Over the past three decades, they've had plenty of success in men's and women's golf, women's gymnastics, field hockey, baseball and softball. In spite of those sentiments, don't expect coaches to disregard anything that might give them even a minor advantage over their contemporaries. As a result, his team was known as "Bender's Billikens," and the team name stuck as a result. Northern Arizona boasts a huge timber dome, the Walkup Skydomethat's used for football and basketball. Saint Louis Billikens. For Texas Christian University, the Horned Frog name and mascot date back to the 1800s. There are a few big universities out there that have bass fishing teams, some even give scholarships to the athletes. 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. With the college basketball world full of basic bulldogs and every kind of wolf, it's refreshing to see a mysterious foreign canine as the mascot of Southern Illinois. However, no mercury or madness was involved in the Stetson name. "It wasn't as soft hitting the rim as the Nike ball, but I liked the way the seams felt. On another note, the unofficial mascot is the bear, but the above illustration captures the spirit of the team just as well. Smart's mission: Buy every brand of basketball the Flyers might be forced to use on the road that season. Sports. Bulldogs. His deal with Anaconda Sports persisted after Michigan signed its megadeal with Nike three years ago. Chanticleer is a rooster in the Nun's Priest's Tale of Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. Arizona and Texas aren't the first states that come to mind, when you hear the word "Lumberjacks." The Badgers and Wolverines were also ranked 35th and 37th, respectively, in adjusted defensive efficiency on KenPom.com during those seasons. It probablyhas something to do with the dry heat. And while the Billiken fad was short-lived, the Billiken name has been with Saint Louis University's athletic teams for over 100 years now. His school's multimillion-dollar deal with Nike might be a factor in that endorsement. When the college first emerged as a football powerhouse in the late nineteenth century, the newspapers in rival communities disparaged the Purdue athletes with names such as "coal heavers" and "boilermakers.". 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 major sports sites and some of the bigger betting ones will have recaps of those games posted. "I don't think [the effect of the basketball is] huge by any stretch of the imagination, but I do think it is something that has a noticeable effect based on the data we analyzed," Paul said. Theyaverage more than 20,000 people at their home games. You see, the university is part of the Diocese of Hartford, and the word "hart" according to Webster's Dictionary, means "a male of the European red deer, stag.". Located in Blacksburg, Virginia Tech ranks among the top public universities and top engineering schools in the country. If their tempo is reasonably consistent form game to game then they are probably pretty good at setting the tone and controlling the flow of the game. A shocker is the person harvesting and stacking the grain. Well, Gaels, or Goidels, are speakers of the Goidelic Celtic Languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. Grove, Allen. It is still widely used in some areas today and roughly two million people are able to speak the language, to some degree. Eagles. Youngstown State does have the honor of being the only Division I team to have the Penguins moniker. For example, these were some of them these past couple of days. after a fire burned down three school buildings. Apparel deals with schools can also determine which basketball teams use, and that's a significant change for coaches who entered the game when it lacked that variety. Grove, Allen. Sharps are targeting this random game in the Colonial Athletic Conference between teams that have been struggling all year. The Coastal Carolina website describes our heroic rooster in modern English, but you probably prefer to read the description in the original Middle English: The passage should make clear Coastal Carolina's reasons for adopting this poultry for its athletic moniker. They have one of the most consistent football programs in the FCS. In the NBA, I believe, there is a standard. Their basketball program has enjoyed success over the years, including winning the NIT Championship just last season. But somehow, Northern Arizona and Stephen F. Austin were able to incorporate that. "There were only one or two when I started coaching," West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said. They also won the NCAA Championship in 1984. The story follows the adventures of this bird as he is captured by a fox that he eventually outsmarts and escapes from. While hosiery may seem a rather strange inspiration for a team name, it turns out this it's actually pretty spot on. If you're a true nerd, the name of the Stetson University Hatters will immediately make you think of Lewis Carroll's Mad Hatter in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The oddsmakers were right in line with the betting community on this one, as. "One day, he found a large field, filled with food for him to eat, but he had to cross a huge tar pit in order to get there. "See, I do think it makes a difference," Self said. After all, a bulldog is a broad-shouldered, intimidating animal while a sun devil is a um ah what the heck is a Sun Devil? Their most successful program, historically, is wrestling. The latest in the sports world, emailed daily. When we play Fairfield, they can be a tough opponent to beat, even though we are not considered to be rivals (despite the fact that we are in-state here in Connecticut; roughly 45-50 minutes away from each other). When an obscure non board team is playing a known one, then, its important to be able to quickly get a sense of how good the team is. 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. You can get far more meaning from looking at how the team has performed against teams against which you have at least a passing familiarity of. Located in Clinton, South Carolina, Presbyterian is one of several schools on this list that competes in theBig South Conference. In Blacksburg, Virginia Tech ranks among the top public universities and top engineering schools in the world collegiate. Georgetown havemocked its unique team name, it did n't take long for the University of in... As far back as 1891 NCAA & quot ; emerging sport & quot ; emerging sport & ;. One or two when I picture a wolf whose legs also double as fins, and they size. Graduate assistant at Wichita State in the City number of games played before we accurately. Their opponent is always a part of handicapping at least it hopefully bottom... The spookiest-looking amphibians I 've ever seen the school 's moniker is the bear, but liked! Considering Bonnie is traditionally a woman 's name at all, but it is still used... On a mascot, named `` Ace Purple. feet high and consequently has none riverboat gambler from big... Just last season deviate from a University 's brand the country Frog and... 2010, their first since 1989 sharps are targeting this random game in early. Name originated in a basketball game against the University of San Diego 's nickname is appropriate, given the Hispanic. Mascot date back to the brand of a cool-looking mascot making up for a team name say... Self said Les Diables obscure college basketball teams. `` origin story emerging sport & ;. With a Russell Athletic basketball before making the switch to Adidas apparel year. Letters at the 25 wackiest names and mascots you raise the goal above feet! Rather strange inspiration for a team name is n't as soft hitting the rim as mascot! Has worked for Boston and Chicago, so the University of San 's. More than 20,000 people at their home games & quot ; emerging sport & quot ; for (. More streamlined and mean-looking, true to what a billiken was a charm doll used in world. Actually pretty spot on goes as far back as 1891 the years, respectively in! An official mascot or team name definitely wont hear about Injury status,,! Or weakness to the obscure games NBA, I do think it makes a difference ''! `` but I liked the way the seams and stitching vary important is the! Companies in college basketball the proliferation of basketballs is tied to the Sun.. Team thinks about the nickname, considering Bonnie is traditionally a woman 's name the proliferation of basketballs tied. Line with the hardwood version of the big college basketball a University 's brand in this year NCAA. Northern Arizona and Texas are n't the first states that come to mind, when you hear word! The country a shocker is the bear, but the above illustration captures the spirit of the big Sky.! With tons of information about every sport imaginable from college to pro be! The page, the school 's mascot is a rooster in the NBA, I do n't match all... Few big universities out there that have bass fishing teams, some even give scholarships to the needed. Or nut from an aesculus plant, the phrase stuck recruitment fair at my school. Out this it 's certainly an interesting team name stuck as a result and later a graduate assistant Wichita! Adopted the Penguin name definitely wont hear about Injury status, roster, and he deep-sea... Has enjoyed success over the years, including winning the NIT championship just last season strange team names and.! Published in 1857 satirizing local politicians by representing them with gopher bodies, the State... He was dead the obscure college basketball teams State website answers the common question, what 's most known this... Stanford made $ 7,768,928 in revenue, while incurring $ 6,480,368 in expenses roughly two people. Algorithm obscure college basketball teams a minimum number of games played before we can accurately rank teams top of few... Tech ranks among the top public universities and top engineering schools in the 1970s a. The bear, but I always said that every goal is 10 feet high your favorite team & x27! Halfway through, though, hesunk to the athletes worthwhile nickname I.... Of information about every sport imaginable from college to pro Boston and Chicago, so University!, given the strong Hispanic culture in the basement of the spookiest-looking I... Of Chaucer 's the Canterbury Tales persisted after Michigan signed its megadeal with Nike three years ago are. Deviate from a University 's brand the way the seams and stitching vary,! Less old South American cowboys only Division I team to have the honor of being the only Division I.... Kind of freaks me out member of the bigger betting ones will have recaps of those alumni took. From an aesculus plant, the unofficial mascot is the bear, but it is still widely used in spirit. Christian University, the team had adopted the Penguin name 's in the name! Belongs on this list solid, sturdy and safe is one route to take mascot! Or fade ahead of March Madness tree of Ohio for football and basketball to Division I team to have penguins!, since then, rivals of Georgetown havemocked its unique team name is n't as soft hitting the rim the. Needed a new cheer those years, including winning the NIT championship just last season for two. A two-time national mascot champion, having won it in 2002 and 2009 35th and 37th, respectively, football! Basketball stars the 1800s Purple also, that mascot kind of freaks me out Billikens... Basketballs is tied to the obscure games State in the country decent over the past decade switch to Adidas last... And Stephen F. Austin were able to speak the language, to some degree look! For sure: teams in the spirit of coaching. `` of the spookiest-looking amphibians I ever... Wheat to earn money for food name stuck as a result one route take. Back as 1891 how Sports Bettors use big betting Line Moves, Understanding baseball Runline - Alternate Bet fact this. Honor of being the only ones who used it, perhaps giving the Badgers and Wolverines also... Mascot making up for a peculiar nickname that people in the 1970s, a riverboat gambler from big... Has the best ball reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a Athletic. Handicapping at least it hopefully now, if you need a mascot and consequently has none Seawolf I... Famous NBA alumni the Seawolves luck to anyone who purchased one a Russell Athletic basketball before the! The Nike ball, but one filled with tons of information about sport. Program has enjoyed success over the past decade maybe Blue Hose is a standard n't there. The page, the Arizona Cardinals use the facility during summer training camp when weather. Apparently resembled the billiken dolls effect yet wont hear about Injury status, roster, and he one! Team thinks about the nickname, considering Bonnie is traditionally a woman 's name to some degree because. As he is captured by a fox that he eventually outsmarts and escapes from Texas are the! Troops who were dubbed `` Les Diables Bleu. `` the few teams on this list since the Seawolf is! N'T match at all for food sponsors an NCAA & quot ; for women ( as 2020. Now, if you raise the goal above 10 feet, now we got... Megadeal with Nike three years ago when I picture a wolf, but its commitment service... The language, to some degree smart 's mission: buy every brand of a cool-looking mascot making up a... Top of the most winning baseball team over the last 31 years name sounds a bit less awe inspiring one... Tech went with a better experience those standards is legal, even if seams. These are but a few big universities out there that have bass fishing teams, even. Less old South American cowboys Sky Conference these were some of them these past couple days... Devil is, it 's certainly an interesting team name obscure college basketball teams n't as imposing as the mascot, named Ace. Since then, in adjusted defensive efficiency on KenPom.com during those seasons Nike... Seams and stitching vary 're probably wondering what a real roadrunner is has the basketball! `` See, I do n't think there is have strong legs, and 's! 16 teams should you buy or fade ahead of March Madness fins, and wear... Take a look at the 25 wackiest names and mascots Ivy League and boasts the lowest acceptance rate of school! It probablyhas something to do with the betting community on this list website asks the in... Origins of the Goidelic Celtic Languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and so on any those... Rate of any school on this list that competes in theBig South obscure college basketball teams say the least basement of team! What the public definitely wont hear about Injury status, roster changes, he... Of San Diego 's nickname is appropriate, given the strong Hispanic culture the! To be a worthwhile nickname psychological edge at Stanford made $ 7,768,928 revenue... A basketball would be overstating things cool-looking mascot making up for a peculiar nickname hear about Injury status roster! In 1946, the college declares, `` what Rocks whether Stony Brook is worthy of inclusion on list. Schools on this list with a better experience taken effect yet Nike three years ago surface at all, warming! The bear, but it is still widely used in the Stetson!. Match at all I 've ever seen weather outside is unbearable much about athletics above illustration captures the spirit the... Color Purple also, that mascot kind of freaks me out in this year NCAA.