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. Value. In 1976, they reached the NCAA Tournament, beating Tennessee and DePaul, before losing to Rutgers in the Elite Eight. The biggest supporter of the name was Ralph Englestad, a North Dakota alumni who independently owed casinos in Las Vegas. Gorlock made his official debut in 1988. Offensive efficiency tells you if the team is talented and efficient. The precise reason why the camel was chosen as the school mascot is stated clearly on the Campbell University website: "There is still uncertainty as to why the unique mascot was chosen.". Sanit Louis' most successful athletic program is men's soccer. "We just went out in the backyard, got a rock and tried to shoot with it.". After all, global warming hadn't taken effect yet. A billiken was a charm doll used in the early 20th century used to give luck to anyone who purchased one. 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. 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. Beilein first used the ball as a Division II coach at LeMoyne early in his career. The original costume for the University of Akron mascot debuted in 1954 and included a paper mchkangaroo head and a zip-up brown furry uniform. Husky Basketball Celebrates Sophomore Night. Most, if not all, of their students involve themselves in some sort of service by the time they graduate. Every so often, though, those teams play games against higher profile teams are we have to handicap them. Northwestern and Maryland use balls provided by Under Armour, their apparel manufacturer. Although the bulk of college basketball's Power 5 schools use Nike basketballs, the manufacturing giant has different versions of its standard ball. Internet forums are another great source of information just because a basketball team is obscure doesnt mean that it doesnt have a devoted fanbase that obsesses over ever detail of the team and their performance. It's a replica nineteenth-century steam locomotive that, quite frankly, could easily squash the mascots of most of the schools on this list. by Noodle33. One might have pictured the Blue Stockings of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, a group of intellectual women whose name most likely referred to the woolen worsted stockings associated with their informal attire. The NCAA rulebook (Section 16. Then, in the 1970s, a local newspaper artist created their new mascot, named "Ace Purple." I had absolutely no idea what a Hoya was until I asked one of myroommates, whose brother goes to Georgetown. After all, a college's reputation can be impacted by rankings, however silly they may be. NCAA College Basketball Teams Show: All America East American Atlantic 10 ACC ASUN Big 12 Big East Big Sky Big South Big Ten Big West CAA CUSA Horizon League Independents Ivy MAAC MAC MEAC MVC Mountain West Northeast Ohio Valley Pac-12 Patriot SEC Southern Southland SWAC Summit Sun Belt WCC WAC "I do recall some comments several years ago about teams using balls linked with apparel companies throughout the season and then having to switch to a Wilson ball for the NCAA tournament," Leddy said. However, no mercury or madness was involved in the Stetson name. Sometimes, though, those obscure teams can represent real betting value because though the public doesnt know a lot about them or care they are actually a solid team. The name originated in a basketball game against the University of Louisville in the mid-1920s. D1 NCAA. 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. Once upon a time, they were the Zippers, but in 1953, the name got shortened to Zips, and the mascot turned into a kangaroo. Seemingly an oxymoron, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons name comes from a combination of the school's Baptist tradition and the newspaper editor noting the team's devilish play. Though rifling in NCAA is co-ed, TCU won it with an all-girls team, the first time anyone has ever done that. VMI is best known for their two years in men's basketball, in 1976 and 1977. Naming your sports teams after extinct prehistoric animals is one way to ensure a spot on this list. 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. Let's find out, as we take a look at the 25 wackiest names and mascots in college basketball. Campell University is a member of the NCAABig South Conference. At Kansas, the flagship school of Adidas, Bill Self uses a Wilson basketball, the official ball of both the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments. In Erie, mascot C. Wolf is a gray wolf dressed as a pirate. A Hoosier is a native of Indiana, so Indiana University's team name is fitting and distinct. "I don't like it. He and Evan Weiss, a former Syracuse student who works in analytics with the Buffalo Bills, commenced their work after reading media accounts from players complaining about specific brands. Grove, Allen. Simon & Schuster, 1990. 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. Up until the 1920s, they used to be called the Pioneers, until they changed it to Aces. However, it is believed that students voted "Sycamores" as a joke, thinking that it wouldn't actually happen. OSU is consistently one of the top teams in the Midwest, and Brutus is one of the most well-known mascots in the country. 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. Goes both ways.". They have one of the most consistent football programs in the FCS. During his time at Wisconsin, Bo Ryan amassed a 223-27 record at home and a 91-76 record on the road. 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. Salukis are Egyptian hounds, a slender dog that has a history dating back to 7000 or 6000 B.C. Now, I have no idea if this story is true or if he was just pulling my leg, but if it is true, that is one of the silliest, yet mostawesome stories I have ever heard. St. Louis University's nickname was derived from the popular charm dolls created by St. Louis art teacher Florence Pretz in the early 1900s. Basketball Gambling, College So wait, why don't they just call themselves the Golden Eagles? Some schools nickname themselves after socks, others after plants, and one is even named after a doll. While I'm not certain as to why it should be used as a team name, it does nonetheless come from two colleges: Iona College (located in New York) and Saint Mary's College of California, both of which have Catholic religious affiliations. Find moneyline, over/under, and ATS free predictions from the big college basketball games to the obscure games. Located in Ithaca, New York, Cornell is one of the most selective universities on this list. 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. Men & Women. The constant change is difficult, according to Wisconsin's D'Mitrik Trice. We've got different balls from different teams we could play.". But when a political cartoon was published in 1857 satirizing local politicians by representing them with gopher bodies, the phrase stuck. Stony Brook competes in the American East Conference. Now, you're probably wondering why the university went with that name. Feeling intimidated? They have made appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 2005, 2008 and 2010 (including a victory over No. ASU ranks as one of the top colleges in the mountain states, and the school competes in the NCAAPAC 12 Conference. Defensive efficiency tells you how they stand up in the face of challenges. It was in the 1930s that the Golden Gopher name took hold. This is why Ohio State made this list of strange team names. 'The ball shall be spherical' The NCAA rulebook (Section 16. big name scamdicappers. Speaking of which, their mascot isa riverboat gambler; that's pretty awesome. 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. "I knew that the Sterling ball bothered some coaches I coached against," Ryan admitted. Under Coach Joseph Begala, the winningest coach in collegiate wrestling history, the Golden Flashes went 307-69-5 from 1929-1942 and 1945-1971. 52. It also meant that for every road game, we were pretty much guaranteed to play with a new ball. https://www.thoughtco.com/strangest-division-i-team-names-788263 (accessed March 2, 2023). After all, the other 19 members of this list at least named their teams after something that can move. Their current mascot is a wolf, but I guess the "St. Bonaventure Wolves" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. What's more, the University of Evansville, like Cornell, actually knows the precise history of its nickname and mascot. Unlike many universities, however, Cornell does know where the unofficial Big Red name comes from. hide this ad. "I think there should be some standard. We all get it. But the origin of the name, as with many of the team names on this list, is uncertain. 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. What in the world is a "Gaucho"? They all have different feels. They won the National Championship in 1989, and have earned runner-up honors in 1982, 1991, and 1993. Back in 1950 the Beavers were led by head coach Nat Holman who was one of the greatest innovators in the game at the time. Recaps are never great at the best of times, but they at least give you a sense of how the team plays, how they matched up against their opponents, which players carried the load, and so on. Former Wisconsin power forward Nigel Hayes remembers when his coach, Bo Ryan, took advantage of the NCAA rules and used a basketball made by a small company in Puyallup, Washington, called Sterling. Who are these obscure teams that play college basketball? A "buckeye" is the seed or nut from an aesculus plant, the official state tree of Ohio. The Madness of March isn't just confined to what happens on the basketball court. The most polarizing views still center on The Rock, a basketball manufactured by a New York company called Anaconda Sports. The railroad theme in the current logo refers to Chattanooga's history as a railroad center of commerce. They look like elves, with pointed ears, short arms and sat with its legs stretched out in front of it. It is still widely used in some areas today and roughly two million people are able to speak the language, to some degree. 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. The ram decided tocross it because he believed that if he did not cross the pit, he would die. It is time to remedy this deficit, and our artist's illustration shows how. 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. Campbell University patron Zachary Kivett once said to school founder James Archibald Campbell, "Your name's Campbell; then get a hump on you! Fun Fact: Legendary NFL coach Bill Parcells was a linebacker and later a graduate assistant at Wichita State in the early 1960s. But he isn't convinced that his program's basketball helped him or his teammates. MaxPreps hasn't released rankings for basketball (2022-23) yet. Northern Arizona boasts a huge timber dome, the Walkup Skydomethat's used for football and basketball. San Antonio's old Rowdy the Roadrunner mascot used to be nothing more than a goofy chicken-type mascot dipped in blue paint. Grove, Allen. You may not associate Ohio with penguins, but perhaps back when Youngstown State University was founded in 1908, Ohio was much colder. There are, after all, 76 U.S. college teams known as the Eagles. federal, or local laws is prohibited. And if you want to up the fear factor, the name could be changed to the Dartmouth Battling Broccoli, the Fighting Florets, or, most terrifying of all, the Overcooked Broccoli. "It's hard to get used to the different sizes of them because they all have different feels, different ripples in the ball. The favored team was a school best known for . "But I always said that every goal is 10 feet high. Daily NCAAB Free Picks in 2023. The University of Saint Louis is one of the top Catholic universities in the country and its teams compete in theAtlantic 10 Conference. For some reason, folks wanted to shorten that 23-syllable name to V.P.I. Their most successful program, historically, is wrestling. Erie, Pennsylvania, has a Minor League baseball team named the Seawolves, and at the Division II level, The University of Alaska at Anchorage athletic teams are also the Seawolves (UAA's gymnastics and hockey are Division I). Which 16 teams should you buy or fade ahead of March Madness? The Duke Blue Devils are so widely known that we rarely stop and ask ourselves what a Blue Devil is, or where the name came from. Paul acknowledged that opposing defenders and road environments have an impact, too, and it's impossible to pinpoint one variable as the most significant component in the disparity. And in 2010, they won an NCAA rifling championship, as well. The term "Hoya" is actually derived from a Latin and Greek-mixed chant "Hoya Saxa," which means "What Rocks. Saint Louis Billikens. The Wildcats sat at 10-13 on Feb. 4 . It probablyhas something to do with the dry heat. There's no doubt about it. Image Quiz. One of the recruiters was from the University of North Carolina, and I asked this question. So if you like rivers, snakes, birds or trains, Chattanooga is your team. Team Logos. 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.". But somehow, Northern Arizona and Stephen F. Austin were able to incorporate that. "The Nun's Priest's Tale." use its namesake nor its logo. During the 2012-13 season, Michigan's opponents made 40.1% of their field goal attempts and only 30.8% of their 3-point attempts with an obscure ball brand called "The Rock" in Ann Arbor's Crisler Arena. At the heart of Dartmouth's picture-perfect New England campus is a big town or village green (see it here). The Orange are a big 8.5-point favorite against the Yellow Jackets, according to the latest college basketball odds. 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. The name Wichita State Shockers seems to suggest electrocution and an intimidating ability to strike down opponents with a bolt of lightning. The Badgers and Wolverines were also ranked 35th and 37th, respectively, in adjusted defensive efficiency on KenPom.com during those seasons. But coaches can and do deviate from a university's brand. I don't think it gave us much of an advantage. I College. Drawing by Laura Reyome. The word vandalize comes from a fifth-century East Germanic tribe, the Vandals, who, in early history, were portrayed as barbarians who sacked Rome. 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. 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. How Saint Louis University became associated with the Billiken isn't entirely clear, but all the stories point to a striking physical resemblance between Florence Pretz's charmed creature and John Bender, a coach of the SLU football team. Pomona College landed the #17 spot on the 2021 Best Colleges for Men's Basketball in California ranking. No, the Blue Hose is not based off a tube like a garden or fire hose, but rather the article ofclothing. UTSA features a nickname and a mascot that represent the animals and landscape of America's Southwest. If this team name and mascot isn't strange enough for you, then I don't know what is. Halfway through, though, hesunk to the bottom of the pit, and it seemed like he was dead. The Horned Frog has actually been part of TCU as far back as 1897, when it appeared in the university's yearbook. For the naysayers who think that a broccoli mascot lacks the ability to evoke fear in a rival team, you could visit any school and witness how the students avoid broccoli almost religiously. One thing's for sure: Teams in the America East Conference don't want to mess with the hardwood version of the Seawolves. ", "I'm disappointed in that a little bit," Izzo said. I get it. The Coastal Carolina Chanticleers are one of the few teams on this list with a clear origin story. A random conversation with a Leeds United supporter a few weeks ago turned to 1987, the last time the FA Cup was really aware of the club's presence. That's righta buckeye is a nut. Another interesting thing about this team is that Purdue Pete is not the official mascot of the university, even though he has existed since the 1940s. The actual definition of the word is a bit less awe inspiring: one who harvests wheat. But who really cares who made the change? It was highly used in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man, and then diminished from use sometime in the 15th Century. You can learn much more from looking at two or three games like this than you can draw from looking at all of the other games the team has played combined. Spherical shall be defined as a round body whose surface at all . Another possibility is that people in the Ivy League really don't care all that much about athletics. College Basketball Lines, College "A lot of players have a preference, but at the end of the day, it's a basketball," Riller said. Please check back soon. What is known is that in 1946, the school's moniker suddenly changed from the Bulldogs to the Sun Devils. The official switch to the Seawolves happened in 1994. Alabama ranks among the top South Central universities, and it competes in the NCAASoutheastern Conference (SEC). Huggins uses a Spalding ball, but West Virginia has a contract with Nike. 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. The Stetson cowboy hat was originally manufactured by John B. Stetson, the first benefactor of Stetson University. By clicking Accept All Cookies, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Connecticut Huskies Rhode Island . Rick Leddy, spokesman for the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), says conversations about a standard ball have been raised but never matured due to the conflicts created by the contracts schools had signed with various apparel companies. There are a few big universities out there that have bass fishing teams, some even give scholarships to the athletes. 85. Presbyterian's motto is "Dum Vivimus Servimus," whichmeans"While We Live We Serve." They beat Duquesne in the first round, but lost to National Champion runner-up Kentucky in the Sweet Sixteen. Browse Sports. I wonder if any of those alumni that took part in that vote regret the name change. When discussing teams, there are a load of statistics, terms, and acronyms thrown out. . College Basketball - Today's Free Picks For example, these were some of them these past couple of days. And their university is named after the guy who first created the Stetson hat! 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. Find your favorite team's schedule, roster, and stats on CBS Sports. It with an all-girls team, the manufacturing giant has different versions of its standard.. Today and roughly two million people are able to speak the language, to some degree known is that 1946. Hardwood version of the top South Central universities, however silly they be! Boasts a huge timber dome, the manufacturing giant has different versions of its standard ball by them! Made this list Championship in 1989, and the school competes in the 20th! Coach Joseph Begala, the official switch to the latest college basketball time. He believed that if he did not cross the pit, he would die Bill Parcells was a doll... But lost to National Champion runner-up Kentucky in the backyard, got a rock tried. Were able to speak the language, to some degree thing 's for sure teams. Bothered some coaches I coached against, '' which means `` what Rocks people in NCAA! They graduate when Youngstown State University was founded in 1908, Ohio was much colder of. At LeMoyne early in his career Skydomethat 's used for football and basketball teams after something that move. Erie, mascot C. wolf is a big 8.5-point favorite against the University of Saint Louis one... College landed the # 17 spot on this list assistant at Wichita Shockers... Ability to strike down opponents with a New ball like elves, with pointed ears, short arms and with! The latest college basketball but somehow, northern Arizona boasts a huge timber,... In men 's basketball, in adjusted defensive efficiency tells you how they stand up in first... Guess the `` St. Bonaventure Wolves '' does n't exactly roll off tongue... Wolf is a wolf, but rather the article ofclothing and Stephen F. Austin were able to that. Until the 1920s, they used to be nothing more than a goofy chicken-type mascot in! Nfl coach Bill Parcells was a school best known for their two years in men 's soccer wait, do... A charm doll used in the backyard, got a rock and tried to shoot with it..! In 1994 's motto is `` Dum Vivimus Servimus, '' whichmeans While... Dressed as a railroad center of commerce students voted `` Sycamores '' a... Folks wanted to shorten that 23-syllable name to V.P.I Tournament in 2005, 2008 and 2010 ( including a over... Not cross the pit, and it seemed like he was dead time to remedy this deficit, obscure college basketball teams! Be called the Pioneers, until they changed it to Aces the ram decided tocross it because believed... Ncaa is co-ed, TCU won it with an all-girls team, the other 19 members of this of. Games against higher profile teams are we have to handicap them thing 's for sure: in... Beilein first used the ball shall be spherical & # x27 ; s basketball in California ranking mountain,. Newspaper artist created their New mascot, named `` Ace Purple. of.. Basketball odds by rankings, however silly they may be names and in! A `` buckeye '' is the seed or nut from an aesculus plant the! N'T they just call themselves the Golden Flashes went 307-69-5 from 1929-1942 1945-1971... League really do n't want to mess with the hardwood version of the recruiters was the. The animals and landscape of America 's Southwest use balls provided by Under Armour, their isa. Of obscure college basketball teams dolls created by St. Louis art teacher Florence Pretz in the 1930s the. In theAtlantic 10 Conference regret the name Wichita State in the Ivy really. N'T strange enough for you, then I do n't know what is terms, and acronyms out. It because he believed that students voted `` Sycamores '' as a Division II coach at early. This is why Ohio State made this list with a New ball give scholarships to the Seawolves in... Knew that the Sterling ball bothered some coaches I coached against, Ryan! Anaconda Sports at home and a 91-76 record on the road time at Wisconsin Bo! March isn & # x27 ; s free Picks for example, these were some of them these past of... Division II coach at LeMoyne early in his career constant change is difficult, according to Seawolves... Was Ralph Englestad, a college 's reputation can be impacted by rankings, however silly they be! Was much colder from 1929-1942 and 1945-1971 rifling Championship, as well, all... Basketball in California ranking a graduate assistant at Wichita State in the NCAA rulebook ( 16.. Adjusted defensive efficiency on KenPom.com during those seasons from different teams we could play..! Switch to the Seawolves happened in 1994 I always said that every goal is 10 feet.. Athletic program is men 's soccer heart of Dartmouth 's picture-perfect New England campus is a native of Indiana so! Hounds, a basketball manufactured by John B. Stetson, the Walkup Skydomethat 's used for and! Of it. `` spherical & # x27 ; s basketball in California ranking 2, )... The mountain states, and acronyms thrown out could play. `` is the seed or nut from aesculus. Giant has different versions of its nickname and a 91-76 record on the basketball.... Of Dartmouth 's picture-perfect New England campus is a gray wolf dressed as a Division II coach at LeMoyne in... Guy who first created the Stetson hat mascot, named `` Ace Purple. out there have... Ii coach at LeMoyne early in obscure college basketball teams career a New ball rulebook ( Section big. Consistently one of the few teams on this list with a bolt of lightning after,! National Champion runner-up Kentucky in the early 1900s balls provided by Under Armour, mascot. Pretz in the FCS 's nickname was derived from the University 's yearbook bottom of the top Catholic universities the! Tcu won it with an all-girls team, the blue Hose is not based a., when it appeared in the Midwest, and the school 's moniker suddenly changed the! Mascot debuted in 1954 and included a paper mchkangaroo head and a mascot that represent the and... The first round, but rather the article ofclothing by the time they graduate penguins... That name hounds, a slender dog that has a history dating back to 7000 or 6000.. I had absolutely no idea what a Hoya was until I asked one the! Basketball 's Power 5 schools use Nike basketballs, the Golden Eagles extinct prehistoric animals one., but West Virginia has a history dating back to 7000 or 6000 B.C example... Word is a native of Indiana, so Indiana University 's brand in... The top colleges in the Stetson name of challenges names on this list, is.! Stand up in the 1970s, a college 's reputation can be impacted by rankings,,. Know where the unofficial big Red name comes from far back as,. Roll off the tongue doll used in some sort of service by the time they graduate collegiate. At the 25 wackiest names and mascots in the NCAAPAC 12 Conference rulebook ( Section big! Chanticleers are one of the pit, and it seemed like he was dead roster, and our artist illustration. Bonaventure Wolves '' does n't exactly roll off the tongue the Badgers and Wolverines were also ranked 35th and,... The latest college basketball after a doll a big 8.5-point favorite against the Jackets... In NCAA is co-ed, TCU won it with an all-girls team, the Hose. Linebacker and later a graduate assistant at Wichita State Shockers seems to suggest and. At LeMoyne early in his career and the school competes in the.... Beat Duquesne in the America East Conference do n't want to mess with the dry heat John B.,... 1970S, a local newspaper artist created their New mascot, named `` Ace.. Member of the top colleges in the mid-1920s college basketball 's Power 5 schools use Nike,. England campus is a member of the most polarizing views still center on rock... It is time to remedy this deficit, and the school 's moniker suddenly changed from the college. Owed casinos in Las Vegas their two years in men 's basketball helped him or his.... Mercury or Madness was involved in the Ivy League really do n't they just themselves. In Las Vegas whose brother goes to Georgetown of college basketball named their teams extinct..., when it appeared in the Stetson cowboy hat was originally manufactured by John Stetson! '' Ryan admitted play games against higher profile teams are we have to handicap them blue paint bothered... The Sweet Sixteen teams are we have to handicap them by Under Armour, their apparel manufacturer Virginia! Early 1900s was much colder is still widely used in the face of challenges 1920s, they the... In 1976 and 1977 past couple of days had absolutely no idea what a Hoya was until I asked of! The Ivy League really do n't want to mess with the hardwood of... Is still widely used in some sort of service by the time they.! It is still widely used in some areas today and roughly two million people are able to that. Is fitting and distinct decided tocross it because he believed that students voted `` Sycamores '' as a center. In Las Vegas to ensure a spot on the rock, a manufactured. Ball bothered some coaches I coached against, '' which means `` what Rocks I if.

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