Even if you are somehow immune to the contagious disease that is March Madness, there’s no way you can be indifferent to the LOLCats of NCAA athletics: the college mascot! They can be cuddly, spiny, angry, cute, colorful and sometimes downright confusing, but no matter the adjectives that describe them, these gladiatorial caricatures of spirit do battle on the courts and fields day in and day out with one goal in mind: to bring joy. And that’s exactly what they do!
So I decided to compile photos of every single mascot for every single college or university in the 65-team 2010 NCAA Mens College Basketball Tournament! That’s right – an A-Z of lions and tigers and bears oh my that is almost certain to bring a smile to the faces of even the most ardent of sports detractors!
The list is set up alphabetically and is alphabetized by the schools’ names, starting with the Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions and ending with the Xavier Musketeers. And speaking of the Golden Lions and the Musketeers, each of these schools get a mascot asterisk that should be addressed up front. Arkansas-Pine Bluff is one of only two schools (along with the Murray State Racers) that doesn’t appear to have a live mascot, so I have included a 2d logo instead.
Xavier, on the other hand, actually has two live mascots! There is the standard Musketeer (included in the list) and then there is the infamous Blue Blob above. (Photo: Newscom)
I’ve tried to include names for the mascots when appropriate but this project was pretty labor-intensive already and I lost a bit of steam before getting all of them. (Feel free to offer up names I’ve left off in the comments section below!) The proper names are included in parentheses after the name of the school and mascot.
As I mentioned previously, there are four pages of images and I will include this index on each page:
PAGE ONE: Arkansas-Pine Bluff – Kansas
PAGE TWO: Kansas State – Northern Iowa
PAGE THREE: Notre Dame – Temple
PAGE FOUR: Tennessee – Xavier
Arkansas-Pine Bluff Golden Lions
(No live mascot)
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Baylor Bears
I noticed doing this post that bears seem to be the most common mascot, or at least it is the most common mascot among the 65 teams that made it into the 2010 NCAA tournament. (Keep in mind that there are a number of different kinds of bears, be they “golden bears” or “grizzlies.”) (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
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Brigham Young Cougars
Does anyone else think the cougar of BYU is on HTH? That cat looks like a poster child for steroid use! (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
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Butler Bulldogs
You gotta love the accessories on the Butler Bulldog! Love the big hat, the “B” dog tag and the sneakers. (Photo by Chris Graythem/Getty Images)
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California Golden Bears
Humility can often be charming when talking about team mascots, but I think the California Golden Bear falls on the bad side of the narrow line between charming and lame. (Photo by: ZumaPress)
Clemson Tigers
Meh. Love the big shoes, though! (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
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Cornell Big Red
One of those teams that gets to pick whatever animal they want because they have a non-specific mascot. It appears Cornell has chosen a bear. Or maybe a dog? (I’ve never really been a big fan of a color as a mascot, even when paired with an adjective. I’m disappointed students at an Ivy League school couldn’t do better!) (Photo by Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images)
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Duke Blue Devils
The Duke Blue Devil is a living comic book super-villain and I think he looks pretty sharp. The hand–written messages on the headband are a bit smug – but that fits Duke pretty well. (Photo by: ZumaPress)
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E. Tennessee State Buccaneers
(Bucky)
What’s not to like about Bucky? He’s poofy, has a silly large hat and a beard. Plus, Bucky as a name for a buccaneer is obvious without being stupid. (Photo by SI.com)
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Florida Gators
We hear about the University of Florida so much that I think we forget they have a damn cool mascot! Not necessarily the live mascot, but the gators. Alligators are some big, fierce, scary critters and I can’t believe UF has cornered the market on them! (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
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Florida State Seminoles
(Chief Osceola)
My guess is that Chief Osceola doesn’t ride his horse onto the basketball court. Personally, I like my mascots a little less realistic and more silly, though I understand FSU’s predicament in not wanting to offend the Seminole tribe. He does ride a horse and throw a flaming spear in the ground though. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)
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Georgetown Hoyas
A hoya isn’t actually a bulldog, but derives from the mixed Greek and Latin chant, “Hoya Saxa,” which loosely translates to “What Rocks!” Meh. I do have to respect a mascot comfortable enough with his own not-so-attractive body that he doesn’t need a shirt or shorts. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
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Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
you can’t go wrong with googly eyes! And insect mascots always have the added option of wings, antennae and an abdomen – which is cool. I think the yellow jacket needs some semblance of a stinger though. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
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Gonzaga Bulldogs
Wrinkly and a bit more modest than the hoya of Georgetown. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
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Houston Cougars
(Shasta)
Shasta is seriously old school! He looks like a mascot that has been around since the ’70s, likes to drink malt liquor and doesn’t really fit into his uniform any more! That may actually be the case since most Houston fans have been drinking since 1983’s Phi Slamma Jamma team with Hakeem Olajuwon lost to NC State in the championship game. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
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Kansas Jayhawks
Rock chalk Jayhawk! Wait, are those orange buckles on his big yellow bird feet? What’s that about? (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
PAGE ONE: Arkansas-Pine Bluff – Kansas
PAGE TWO: Kansas State – Northern Iowa
PAGE THREE: Notre Dame – Temple
PAGE FOUR: Tennessee – Xavier
