We all love a good mascot. They make our school spirit soar and help unite a group of people. But who is the best? Which mascots are in the running for being your favorite team’s Mascot, School Colors or Famous Alumni? We’ve got you covered with this definitive guide!
The “2017 ncaa tournament bracket” is a guide to school mascots, colors and famous alumni. It includes information about the NCAA Tournament including dates and location.
8:20 a.m. Eastern Time
-
ESPN’s Kyle Soppe
The NCAA tournament has a lot of familiar faces, but there are new mascots, school colors, and fight songs to remember every year. We’ve researched each school in the tournament to give you all the information you need, organized by region and seeds, as you’d find them on your Tournament Challenge entry. Whether you’re filling out a bracket and need inspiration from the team’s traditions or just want to know who might be rooting for you, we’ve researched each school in the tournament to give you all the information you need, organized by region and seeds, as you’d find them on your Tournament Challenge entry.
Free to play ESPN Men’s Tournament Challenge!
The brackets are now open! Fill out your bracket today at Men’s Tournament Challenge! Make a Bracket
Some data (such as student enrolment figures) may be somewhat out of date since it was gathered from public sources. But that’s OK with us: we devote just as much time and effort into vetting this as you do into filling out your bracket.
Please accept our apologies if your favorite actor/athlete/politician/relative was not included in the list of famous graduates. There’s nothing to read into it since it was (probably) inadvertent. To be honest, we had to bend the concept of remarkable for certain institutions. But we had a good time with it, and we hope you will as well.
REGION OF THE WEST
West Coast Conference | 4,964 students enrolled Spike the Bulldog is the team’s mascot, and the fight song is “Go Gonzaga.” Blue and white are the official colors. John Stockton and Bing Crosby are two notable graduates.
Atlantic Coast Conference | 15,892 students Fight song: “Fight Blue Devils” | Mascot: Blue Devil Duke blue and white are the official colors. Adam Silver, Ken Jeong, Richard Nixon, Melinda Gates, Ron Paul, Judy Woodruff, and Jay Bilas are among the notable graduates.
Official colors: scarlet and black Notable alumni: Sheryl Swoopes, John Denver, Wes Welker, Zach Thomas, George Eads, Rick Husband | Conference: Big 12 | Enrollment: 38,246 Mascot: Masked Rider, Raider Red | Fight song: “Fight, Raiders, Fight”
Southeastern Conference | 27,558 students Tusk IV is the mascot of the team. “Arkansas Fight” is the fight song. Cardinal and white are the official colors. John Daly, Jerry Jones, Pat Summerall, Joe Johnson, Darren McFadden, and Tyson Gay are among the notable graduates.
Big East Conference | 32,333 students Jonathan the Husky is the team’s mascot, and the fight song is “UConn Husky.” Navy blue, gray, and white are the official colors. Ray Allen, Rebecca Lobo, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Sue Bird, Dan Orlovsky, and Molly Qerim are among the notable graduates.
Southeastern Conference | 37,842 students Big Al is the mascot, and the fight song is “Yea Alabama.” Crimson and white are the official colors. Julio Jones, Calvin Ridley, Bear Bryant, Shaun Alexander, Jimmy Wales, Justin Thomas, Dabo Swinney, Harper Lee, Bernie Madoff, Joe Namath are just a few of the notable graduates.
Big Ten Conference | 50,019 students Sparty is the mascot, and the fight song is “Victory for MSU.” Green and white are the official colors. Magic Johnson, Le’Veon Bell, Bubba Smith, Robert Urich, Dan Gilbert, and Gretchen Whitmer are among the notable graduates.
Mountain West Conference | 22,113 students Buster Bronco is the mascot, and the fight song is “Orange and Blue.” Orange and blue are the official colors. Doug Martin, Jay Ajayi, Kellen Moore, and Scott Jorgensen are among the notable graduates.
American Conference | 20,585 students enrolled TOM is the mascot, and the fight song is “Go Tigers Go.” Blue and gray are the official colors. Penny Hardaway, Derrick Rose, Isaac Bruce, Antonio Gibson, and DeAngelo Williams are among the notable graduates.
Atlantic 10 Conference | 1,983 students Will E. Wildcat is the mascot, and the fight song is “O Davidson.” Black and red are the official colors. Stephen Curry and Woodrow Wilson are two notable alumni.
Big Ten Conference | 67,556 students Scarlet Knight is the mascot, and the fight song is “The Bells Must Ring.” Scarlet, gray, and black are the official colors. Kristin Davis, Elizabeth Warren, Mario Batali, Chris Christie, David Stern, Carli Lloyd, and Ray Rice are among the notable graduates.
Atlantic Coast Conference | 8,874 students Fight song: “Victory March” | Mascot: Leprechaun Blue and gold are the official colors. Joe Montana, Chase Claypool, Mike Golic, Mike Golic Jr., Regis Philbin, and Condoleezza Rice are among the notable graduates.
Western Athletic Conference | Enrollment: 24,580 Pistol Pete is the mascot, and the fight song is “Aggie Fight Song.” Crimson and white are the official colors. Fredd Young and Alvy Ray Smith are two notable graduates.
America East Conference | 11,898 students enrolled Rally is the mascot, and the fight song is “Vermont Victory.” Green and gold are the official colors. Ben Affleck, John Dewey, and Martin St. Louis are among the notable graduates.
Big Sky Conference | 14,240 students Champ is the mascot, and the fight song is “Stand Up and Cheer.” Blue and gold are the official colors. Craig Kilborn, Sam McCullum, and Jan Stenerud are among the notable graduates.
Big West Conference | 36,770 students Tuffy the Titan is the mascot, and the fight song is “Fight On, Titans.” Navy blue, white, and orange are the official colors. Gwen Stefani, Kevin Costner, Adam Lambert, Bruce Bowen, and Justin Turner are among the notable graduates.
Sun Belt Conference | 52,814 students Pounce is the mascot, and the fight song is “Fight Panthers.” Blue and white are the official colors. Ludacris, Julia Roberts, and Lita Ford are among the notable graduates.
REGION OF THE EAST
Conference: Big 12 | Enrollment: 16,787 Mascot: Bruiser & Marygold | Fight song: “Old Fite” Official color(s): Green and gold Notable alumni: Willie Nelson, Jeff Dunham, Robert Griffin III
Southeastern Conference | 22,425 students The Wildcat is the mascot, and the fight song is “On, On, U of K.” Wildcat blue is the official color. Pat Riley, Ashley Judd, Wynonna Judd, Mitch McConnell, and Miss Elizabeth are among the notable graduates.
Big Ten Conference | Enrollment: 43,411 “Hail Purdue!” is the fight song for the Purdue Boilermakers. Old gold and black are the official colors. Neil Armstrong, Gus Grissom, Orville Redenbacher, Jim Gaffigan, John Wooden, and Drew Brees are among the notable graduates.
Pac-12 Conference | 44,947 students Joe Bruin is the mascot, and the fight song is “Sons of Westwood and the Mighty Bruins.” The official color(s) are: UCLA gold, UCLA blue Jackie Robinson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Arthur Ashe, Reggie Miller, Russell Westbrook, Ben Stiller, Jack Black, and Gabrielle Union are among the notable graduates.
West Coast Conference | Enrollment: 2,916 Gael Force One is the mascot, and the fight song is “On to Victory.” Navy, crimson, and silver are the official colors. Tony Martin and Mahershala Ali are two notable graduates.
Big 12 Conference | 40,163 students Bevo is the mascot, and the fight song is “Texas Fight.” Burnt orange and white are the official colors. Matthew McConaughey, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Roger Clemens, Kevin Durant, Janis Joplin, Owen Wilson, and Walter Cronkite are among the notable graduates.
Ohio Valley Conference | 10,495 students Racer One and Dunker are the mascots, and the fight song is “The Old Grey Mare.” Navy and gold are the official colors. Jude Deveraux, W. Earl Brown, and Jim Varney are among the notable graduates.
Atlantic Coast Conference | 29,847 students Rameses is the mascot, and the fight song is “I’m a Tar Heel Born.” Carolina blue and white are the official colors. James Polk, Michael Jordan, Andy Griffith, Mia Hamm, Jack Palance, and Stuart Scott are among the notable graduates.
Big East Conference | Enrollment: 8,143 Fight song: “Ring Out Ahoya” | Mascot: Golden Eagle Blue and gold are the official colors. Rick Majerus, Chris Farley, Tom Snyder, and Rachel Lindsay are among the notable graduates.
West Coast Conference | 5,852 students enrolled The Don is the mascot, and the fight song is “Victory Song.” Green and gold are the official colors. Bill Russell, Bill Cartwright, KC Jones, and Sinqua Walls are among the notable graduates.
Atlantic Coast Conference | 32,304 students HokieBird is the team’s mascot, while the fight song is “Tech Triumph.” Chicago maroon and burnt orange are the official colors. Hoda Kotb, Michael Vick, and Bruce Smith are among the notable graduates.
Big Ten Conference | 48,952 students Fight song: “Indiana, Our Indiana” | Mascot: N/A Cream and Crimson are the official colors. Mark Cuban, Sage Steele, Isaiah Thomas, Dick Enberg, Joe Buck, and Jamie Moyer are among the notable graduates.
Mountain West Conference | 12,249 students Cowboy Joe is the mascot, and the fight song is “Ragtime Cowboy Joe.” UW Brown and UW Gold are the official colors. Notable graduates include Dick Cheney, Jerry Buss, and Malcom Floyd.
Mid-American Conference | 17,829 students enrolled Zippy the Kangaroo is the mascot, and the fight song is “Akron Blue and Gold.” Blue and gold are the official colors. Yvette Yvette Yvette Yvette Yvette Yvette Yvette Jason Taylor, Nicole Brown
New Haven, Connecticut (14) Yale Bulldogs
Ivy League Conference | 12,312 students Handsome Dan is the mascot, and the fight song is “Bulldog.” Yale blue and white are the official colors. George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Gerald Ford, John C. Calhoun, William Howard Taft, Nathan Hale, Dick Cheney, Hillary Clinton, Clarence Thomas, John Kerry, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Klobuchar, Sherrod Brown, John Bolton, Meryl Streep, Jodie Foster, Edward Norton, Lupita Nyong’o, Claire Danes, Oliver Stone, Sigourney Weaver, Angela Bassett, Vincent
Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference | 2,355 students Peacock as mascot | “lo Pavo” as fight song Blue and white are the official colors. Bob Hurley, Keydren Clark, and Victor Santos are among the notable graduates.
Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference | 5,616 students Spiro the Spartan is the mascot, and the fight song is “Norfolk State Fight Song.” Green and gold are the official colors. Kyle O’Quinn and J.B. Smoove are two notable graduates.
REGION OF THE SOUTH
Pac-12 Conference | 36,503 students Wilbur and Wilma are the mascots, and the fight song is “Fight Wildcats, Fight!” The official color(s) are: Arizona Blue and UA Red Richard Jefferson, Gilbert Arenas, Kourtney Kardashian, Nicole Richie, and Kenny Lofton are among the notable graduates.
Big East Conference | 6,500 students Will D. Cat is the mascot, and the fight song is “V for Villanova.” Navy blue and white are the official colors. Bradley Cooper, Howie Long, Jim Croce, Don McLean, and Toby Keith are among the notable graduates.
Southeastern Conference | 22,317 students Smokey is the mascot, and the fight song is “Down the Field.” Tennessee orange and smoky blue are the official colors. Peyton Manning, Reggie White, Candace Parker, Jason Witten, Chris Moneymaker, and Lou Albano are among the notable graduates.
Big Ten Conference | 52,331 students Fight song: “Oskee-Wow-Wow” | Mascot: N/A Orange and blue are the official colors. Hugh Hefner, Jesse Jackson, Dick Butkus, and Deron Williams are among the notable graduates.
The American Athletic Conference has 37,215 students enrolled. Shasta is the mascot, and the fight song is “Cougar Fight Song.” Scarlet and albino are the official colors. Hakeem Olajuwon, Jim Parsons, and Lil Wayne are among the notable graduates.
Mountain West Conference | 33,413 students CAM the Ram is the mascot, and the fight song is “Stalwart Rams.” Green, gold, and white are the official colors. Becky Hammon, Michael Gallup, and Joey Porter are among the notable graduates.
Big Ten Conference | 61,170 students Brutus is the mascot, and the fight song is “Across the Field.” Scarlet and gray are the official colors. Jesse Owens, Jack Nicklaus, Paul Brown, Bobby Knight, Mary Oliver, Sherrod Brown, R.L. Stine, Richard Lewis, George Steinbrenner, Alexa Bliss are just a few of the notable graduates.
Big East Conference | 5,818 students The Pirate is the mascot, and the fight song is “Onward Setonia.” Blue and white are the official colors. Dick Vitale, Bob Ley, Max Weinberg, and Artie Lange are among the notable graduates.
Big-12 Conference | Enrollment: 9,704 Superfrog as mascot | “TCU Fight Song” as fight song Horned Frog Purple and White are the official colors. LaDainian Tomlinson, Andy Dalton, and Scott Brooks are among the notable graduates.
Missouri Valley Conference | 16,437 students Lu Wolf is the mascot, and the fight song is “Hail Loyola.” Maroon and gold are the official colors. Bob Newhart and Stephanie Springs are two notable graduates.
Big Ten Conference | 46,002 students Fight song: “The Victors” | Mascot: None Maize and blue are the official colors. Gerald Ford, Arthur Miller, Iggy Pop, James Earl Jones, Lucy Liu, Sanjay Gupta, Tom Brady, Derek Jeter, Michael Phelps, Branch Rickey, and Adam Schefter are just a few of the notable graduates.
Birmingham, Alabama (12) UAB Blazers
The conference will be held in the United States, with a total of 13,836 participants. Blaze the Dragon is the mascot, and the fight song is “UAB Blazer Fight Song.” Green, gold, and white are the official colors. Roddy White, Graeme McDowell, and Joe Webb are among the notable graduates.
Southern Conference | 11,728 students Scrappy the Mockingbird is the mascot, and the fight song is “Chattanooga Mighty Mocs.” Navy and gold are the official colors. Terrell Owens, Dennis Haskins, Hugh Beaumont, and Mike Bradbury are among the notable graduates.
Big South Conference | 5,096 students Elwood is the mascot, and the fight song is “Hail to Longwood U.” Blue and white are the official colors. Jerome Kersey, Ransford Doherty, and Pat McGee are among the notable graduates.
Colonial Athletic Conference | 18,420 students YoUDee is the mascot, and the fight song is “UD Fight Song.” Blue and gold are the official colors. Joe Biden, Elena Delle Donne, Joe Flacco, Rich Gannon, and Matt Nagy are among the notable graduates.
Horizon Conference | 8,332 participants Rowdy Raider is the team’s mascot, and the fight song is “WSU Fight Song.” Green and gold are the official colors. Nicole Scherzinger, Carlos Pena, and Sean Murphy are among the notable graduates.
Northeast Conference | 3,280 students Tupper is the mascot, and the fight song is “Bryant Fight.” Black and gold are the official colors. James Karinchak, Nicholas Colasanto, and Earl Tupper are among the notable graduates.
MIDREGION OF THE WEST
Big 12 Conference | 28,510 students Big Jay and Baby Jay are the team’s mascots, and the fight song is “I’m a Jayhawk.” Crimson and blue are the official colors. Wilt Chamberlain, Dean Smith, Paul Rudd, Don Johnson, Rob Riggle, Scott Bakula, and Nikki Glaser are among the notable graduates.
Southeastern Conference | 23,964 students Aubie the Tiger is the mascot, and the fight song is “War Eagle.” Burnt orange and navy blue are the official colors. Charles Barkley, Bo Jackson, Jimmy Buffett, Lionel Richie, and Octavia Spencer are among the notable graduates.
Big Ten Conference | 44,413 students Bucky Badger is the mascot, and the fight song is “On, Wisconsin!” Cardinal and white are the official colors. Charles Lindbergh, Frank Lloyd Wright, Eudora Welty, Dick Cheney, Jim Lovell, Joan Cusack, Jane Kaczmarek, and Don Ameche are among the notable graduates.
Big East Conference | 4,298 students Friar Dom is the mascot, and the fight song is “When the Saints Go Marching In.” Providence Black, Metallic, and White are the official colors. Doris Burke, Janeane Garofalo, Lenny Wilkens, John Thompson, and Jim Larranaga are among the notable graduates.
Mascot: Herky the Hawk | Fight song: “Iowa Fight Song” Notable alumni: Tennessee Williams, John Irving, Jane Smiley, Gene Wilder, Tom Brokaw, Ashton Kutcher, Tom Arnold, Diablo Cody, Matt Bowen Conference: Big Ten | Enrollment: 32,948 Mascot: Herky the Hawk | Fight song: “Iowa Fight Song” Official color(s): Black and gold
Baton Rouge, Louisiana (6) LSU Tigers
Southeastern Conference | 45,202 students Mike the Tiger is the team’s mascot, and the fight song is “Fight for LSU.” Purple and gold are the official colors. Shaquille O’Neal, Ben Simmons, Odell Beckham Jr., Ja’Marr Chase, Joe Burrow, Lexie Priessman, Bill Conti, and Hubert H. Humphrey are among the notable graduates.
Pac-12 Conference | 46,000 students Fight song: “Tribute to Troy” | Mascot: Traveler Gold and cardinal are the official colors. George Lucas, Will Ferrell, John Ritter, Neil Armstrong, Reggie Bush, JuJu Smith-Schuster, and Troy Polamalu are among the notable graduates.
Mountain West Conference | 35,578 students Aztec Warrior | Mascot “Fight Song” is the fight song. Black and scarlet are the official colors. Tony Gwynn, Marshall Faulk, Stephen Strasburg, Kawhi Leonard, Herm Edwards, and Raquel Welch are among the notable graduates.
Big East Conference | 4,472 students Billy Bluejay is the mascot, and the fight song is “The White and the Blue.” White and blue are the official colors. Kyle Korver, Bob Gibson, and Paul Silas are among the notable alumni.
Atlantic Coast Conference | 11,334 students Sebastian the Ibis is the mascot, and the fight song is “Miami U How-Dee-Doo.” The official color(s) are: UM Orange and UM Green are two of the university’s colors. Dwayne Johnson, Alex Rodriguez, Sylvester Stallone, Ray Lewis, Michael Irvin, and Enrique Iglesias are among the notable graduates.
Big 12 Conference | 34,992 students The Cardinal’s mascot is Cy, and the fight song is “ISU Fights.” Cardinal and gold are the official colors. George Washington Carver and Lee Teng-hui are two notable graduates.
The Atlantic 10 Conference has 3,291 students enrolled. WebstUR the Spider is the mascot, and the fight song is “The Spider Song.” UR Blue and UR Red are the official colors. Sean Casey, Tim Stauffer, Brian Jordan, Gregg Marshall, and Tim Hightower are among the notable alumni.
Summit is a conference with 11,405 participants. Jack the Jackrabbit is the company’s mascot. “Ring the Bells” is the fight song. Blue and yellow are the official colors. Dallas Goedert and Adam Vinatieri are two notable graduates.
Patriot League Conference | Enrollment: 2,939 Raider is the mascot, and the fight song is “Fight, Fight, Fight.” Maroon and white are the official colors. Jay Chandrasekhar, Bob Woodruff, Mike Milbury, Ben Cohen, and Andy Rooney are among the notable graduates.
ASUN Conference | 7,749 students enrolled Cocky the Gamecock is the mascot, and the fight song is “JSU Fight Song.” Red and white are the official colors. Danny Willett, Todd Jones, and Ashley Martin are among the notable graduates.
Southwestern Athletic Conference | 10,514 students Tiger as mascot | “Tiger Fight Song” as fight song Maroon and gray are the official colors. Michael Strahan and Megan Thee Stallion are two notable alumnae.
Southland Conference | 11,929 students Izzy the Islander is the team’s mascot. “TAMUCC Islander Fight Song” is the fight song. Royal blue, white, and green are the official colors. Kevin Palmer, Cassandra Jean, and Kim Henkel are among the notable graduates.
Related Tag
- ncaa tournament 2021 dates
