March Madness Mascots: A Guide To The Iconic Faces

The NCAA Tournament is full of iconic moments and prominent celebrities, but some of the most giant faces aren’t even real people. Some of the most popular figures of March Madness will be wearing a costume as the mascot for schools that are participating in the event.

College football and college basketball are really when you see the mascots show up more as they are on the sidelines and getting their fans into the game. Those mascots rarely have any impact on the final outcome, but everyone knows and loves the most popular ones.

If you are tuning into a March Madness game this season, then you are going to see these mascots trying to bring energy to their school. Here is a look at some of the most iconic faces of college basketball and why those mascots have earned a place in history.

Why do March Madness Mascots Matter?

One of the most enjoyable things about the NCAA Tournament is the March Madness mascots that get plenty of television time. Those March Madness mascots are actually even better in person, as they bring energy to the arena during a game.

The mascots of March Madness don’t necessarily have anything to do with which teams win or lose a game, but they can provide a way for fans to get more involved. Some people do end up picking winning teams based on mascots, but there isn’t some proven strategy that works with this.

Mascots are an easy way to identify college basketball programs, and some mascots tend to be more popular than the best players on each roster. Mascots might not matter when it comes to results, but they have a large role in the NCAA Tournament.

How Schools Choose Mascots

March Madness team mascots are chosen for a variety of reasons, and some of those reasons no longer even make sense. Most mascots are a play on the nickname of the team, but that’s not always going to be the case.

A mascot and a nickname are two completely different things, and it is the mascot that is typically more recognizable than the nickname of the school. There has been a recent push among colleges to change mascots due to public outrage, especially when it comes to names such as Indians, Warriors, or Braves.

Common Categories of March Madness Team Mascots

The Mascots of March Madness usually fit into a couple of different categories, and some categories tend to have a better history when it comes to winning games in March. Animals are one category that you are going to see, and you might also see some live animals or live humans.

Cats and dogs tend to be one category in which there are a ton of mascots, but they can also be broken down into individual categories as well. Wildcats, Cougars, Panthers, and Lions are common names in the cat category, while Bulldogs or Huskies are common names you see when it’s the dog category.

Not only are the mascots typically filed into specific categories, but that’s the same with nicknames as well. Teams tend to steal ideas from other schools, and that’s why there are similar nicknames and mascots.

Five Most Iconic March Madness Mascots

While all of the March Madness team mascots tend to get plenty of attention when it comes to the NCAA Tournament, there are always those that tend to be more popular. Even some smaller schools tend to have mascots that are more recognizable than some of the most prominent schools.

March Madness brings plenty of excitement and energy in March, and that’s going to be the case moving forward.

5. Brutus Buckeye: Ohio State University

One of the most iconic March Madness mascots is actually the most iconic mascot when it comes to college football. That would be Brutus Buckeye, and his costume is a sight to behold, as well as try to figure out what is going on.

A “Buckeye” is a very strange mascot, to begin with, and Brutus immediately draws attention to himself when he shows up at a game. Brutus tends to have a long year as he is stuck doing big-time college football games right through the heart of college basketball season as well.

Ohio State hasn’t had as much success on the court as they have had on the football field, but the Buckeyes are still a team that you can expect to see winning games during March Madness.

4. Rameses: North Carolina

Another of the most ridiculous-looking NCAA March Madness mascots would belong to the University of North Carolina. First of all, their mascot is the Tar Heels, and no one is even quite sure what that means exactly.

North Carolina has decided to go with a ram named Rameses as the mascot, and he is definitely one of the coolest mascots you will see. Those yellow/gold ram horns that he has sitting on top of his head always pop, especially when confetti is falling down on him.

It’s always a massive deal when North Carolina and Duke meet up during the regular season, but we got a taste of that rivalry in the NCAA Tournament last year. In a battle of huge mascots, it was Rameses that was able to deliver the decisive blow to Duke Blue Devil.

3. Joe Bruin: UCLA

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Joe Bruin is still considered one of the best NCAA March Madness mascots, but he really missed out on his chance to shine. UCLA was once the most dominant college basketball team in the country, as they were winning a national championship seemingly every year.

Even though Joe Bruin has been the mascot at UCLA since 1924, it just wasn’t as important as popular to follow the mascots until the last 20 years. Joe Bruin is the best-looking bear mascot in the country, and he usually has the college basketball team to back up all of his trash-talking that he does on the floor.

However, Joe Bruin is always going to be relevant, and the UCLA Bruins basketball program has started to bounce back a bit recently. There are some interesting mascots in the Pac-12 Conference that Joe Bruin has to contend with, but he always preserves to show up on the biggest stage.

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March Madness Contender - UCLA

2. Duke Blue Devil

The Duke Blue Devil is another of the March Madness mascots that are just synonymous with this event, but it’s partly because the basketball team is so good. Many people actually felt that head coach Mike Krzyzewski turned in the mascot over the past decade, but there is no way he could be as cool as the Duke Blue Devil.

There are some other “devils” out there, but most of those teams tend to stick with the traditional red color. That’s now how Duke goes about things, and those devil horns really tend to pop when they are sticking out of a blue body.

Some would argue that Duke Blue Devil became a bit too arrogant at times during the last 20 years, and that might be why the basketball team has struggled to be as dominant as it once was. You can always count on seeing Duke Blue Devil on the sidelines during the NCAA Tournament, though, and he has a very imposing presence.

1. Sparty: Michigan State Spartans

When putting together a list of the most iconic March Madness mascots, there is no way anyone could be on top besides Sparty. The Michigan State Spartans mascot is one of the best all year long, but he always seems to step up his game during the NCAA Tournament.

One thing that has helped Sparty become the most iconic face in all of college basketball is the fact that Michigan State has appeared in the NCAA Tournament 24 state times. In fact, head coach Tom Izzo is known for delivering in March, and the Spartans have beaten some great teams during that stretch.

On top of that, Sparty is easily the coolest-looking mascot in the game, and he is a presence when he is on the sidelines.

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March Madness Mascots FAQ

How do mascots impact March Madness?

During the game, mascots can impact March Madness games by firing up the crowd, leading cheers, or distracting opposing players. Sometimes, they’re just as entertaining as the game itself!

Do people choose their brackets based on the mascots?

Yes, fans sometimes decide based on which mascot they think is cooler who will win the game. While this isn’t a great way to win your bracket pool, it can be a fun way to mix things up while making your picks.

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March Madness Mascots: A Guide To The Iconic Faces Of College Basketball