Enthusiastic fans following the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments may find themselves just as enchanted by the mascots as they are by the players. For years, fluffy and vibrant characters have served as team rallying symbols, and this year’s March Madness boasts an impressive lineup of such figures.
These mascots, donned in outfits representing various creatures, ranging from badgers and beavers to gators and griffins, provide a unique flavor to each participating school. Let’s delve into some stories behind these mascots and the schools they’re cheering for:
**St. Francis Red Flash**
St. Francis University, located in the small town of Loretto, Pennsylvania, has the distinction of being among the select men’s teams with a losing record to earn a spot in the NCAA Tournament. This achievement came after they secured the Northeast Conference tournament. Their mascot, Frankie the Friar, a cheerful figure with a bald head, led the Red Flash back to the tournament for the first time since 1991. With just around 2,000 students, the university hopes to captivate new fans through their spirited play. Frankie made his first appearance in 1983 and received a revamp in 2009. References to the “Red Flashes” date back to 1927 in the school’s football narrative.
**UC San Diego Tritons**
King Triton, the proud mascot of UC San Diego, is gracing both the men’s and women’s tournaments in the school’s inaugural eligibility year post-transition from Division II to the Big West Conference in 2020. Adorned with a crown and wielding a trident, King Triton’s representation is rooted in Greek mythology, where Triton is a sea warrior son of Poseidon. The sea’s proximity to the La Jolla campus makes this a fitting moniker, thanks to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
**Akron Zips**
Originally dubbed the Zippers – a nod to the rubber galoshes that gained fame in 1925 through B.F. Goodrich – Akron’s mascot has undergone an evolution over time. In 1950, the school’s athletic director truncated the name to the Zips. The mascot emerged from a design contest, eventually leading to the creation of a kangaroo named Mr. Zip, complete with boxing gloves and a zipper. Later, Mr. Zip transitioned to a female persona, Zippy, given that only female kangaroos have pouches.
**Grand Canyon Lopes**
Thunder the Antelope is the embodiment of versatility among mascots, engaging with fans, descending into arenas from the ceiling, and even dunking whilst springing off trampolines. However, there was once a time when Grand Canyon University’s mascot challenge existed not only in name but even against competition. Since 1949, the nickname has epitomized the Antelope and eventually was shortened to Lopes. In 1981, the previous “Purple People Eater” mascot was replaced by the present antelope, adopting its Thunder persona by 2008.
**South Dakota State Jackrabbits**
Known for their intriguing mascot, the Jackrabbits of South Dakota State add an element of curiosity. Their title, a rarity among U.S. colleges, dates back to early 1900s folklore related to a newspaper cartoon or a yearbook poem. Whichever the origin, the athletic teams adopted it eventually, formalizing the mascot’s name, Jack, in 2010. Whereas the animal is depicted as a fast jackrabbit, in truth, the state is host to two species of jackrabbits, which are technically hares with prominent ears and sizes.
**St. John’s Red Storm**
Johnny Thunderbird reappears, bringing his energy as St. John’s enters the men’s tournament for the first time since 2019. Making its mascot debut in 2009, the Thunderbird followed the school’s change from the Redmen to the Red Storm. Legends define this mythological bird as a Native American spirit, emblematic of thunder and lightning. The character has enjoyed notable presence in New York City, even featuring in a video alongside notable personalities like Coach Rick Pitino and NBC’s Jimmy Fallon.
Despite typically behaving well, mascots sometimes disrupt the order in March Madness. Instances from past tournaments include notable ejections such as Stanford’s tree mascot in 2006 and Tennessee’s Smokey in 1996. Hilariously notable was the 1994 Final Four confrontation between mascot rivals from Arizona and Arkansas resulting in an injury.
**The Tale of Bruce Pearl, the Ersatz Mascot**
Bruce Pearl, now prominent as the coach for top-seeded Auburn, once took on the impromptu role of a mascot during a college tournament. During his student days at Boston College, Pearl swapped his role as a personal assistant for Coach Tom Davis to fill in as Eddie the Eagle when the mascot fell ill. His side antics included perching a stepladder behind hoops to flap mischievously during opponents’ free throws. Recalling the aftermath, Pearl humorously admitted breaking multiple NCAA rules with his antics.
