Today's Rowdy is more streamlined and mean-looking, true to what a real roadrunner is. There's no doubt about it. As for athletic performances, Iona has been a top men's cross country team in the nation over the last decade. It's a big deal, but at the same time, it is what it is. As a Quinnipiac student and sports journalist, I get to see Fairfield in a variety of sports over the course of the school year. 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. "20 Strangest Division I Team Names." Sports. Coach John Wooden, UCLA, winner of 10 National Championships. It's honestly difficult at times. Beavers call their athletic teams the Engineerssome mascots have just a little too much connotation attached to them. "It's hard to get used to the different sizes of them because they all have different feels, different ripples in the ball. ", "I'm disappointed in that a little bit," Izzo said. . I check ESPN box scores, and these universities/colleges/whatever they are, they don't even have a logo. Most people know about its men's basketball team, a perennial Big East contender and has been in either the NCAA Tournament or the NIT since 2005. Ideally, I like to look at a couple of recaps. With the new name, the school needed a new cheer. Maddux Sports makes its money from repeat sports Nevertheless, Tulsa did a good job with the mascot, and the lightning bolt is a nice touch. They were a fad at the time, and like most fads, faded into obscurity after a few years. What is known is that in 1946, the school's moniker suddenly changed from the Bulldogs to the Sun Devils. North Carolina's nickname and mascot don't match at all, but there's special meaning behind them. He never went hungry again. Youngstown State competes in the NCAAThe Horizon League. Nebraska coach and former Iowa State sharpshooter Fred Hoiberg, a 40% college 3-point shooter who thrived from distance during a 10-year NBA career, says a basketball brand can affect a game, which is why he'd like to see a permanent change. When researching all Division I colleges and universities for other articles using afair, balanced, highly scientific, and entirely empirical system of evaluationstudying their retention rates, graduation rates, selectivity, and financial aidwe came up with an in-depth analysis containing lovely data, but that wasn't useful for this list. 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. Since it's founding in 1869, the university has educated students with working-class backgrounds for utilitarian careers, a practice the school continues today with its many strengths in engineering and other professional fields. 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. 20 Strangest Division I Team Names. ", Nolan Richardson, who coached Arkansas to the 1994 national title, said he never worried about the basketball his team would use whenever it left Fayetteville, though he admits he never liked balls that had "wide seams. UNH and Maine have the longest running rivalry in all of college basketball (excluding Ivy League schools). "One day you might play at Nebraska and be using an Adidas ball, and then you go to Ohio State and you're using a Nike ball, and you're playing at home and you're using a Wilson or Under Armour ball," Trice said. Basketball Matchup Stats, College San Antonio's old Rowdy the Roadrunner mascot used to be nothing more than a goofy chicken-type mascot dipped in blue paint. The Billiken is by far one of the wackiest names and mascots in college basketball. Imagine Alabama coach Nick Saban telling LSU's Ed Orgeron which football his team had to use during their recent SEC clash in Tuscaloosa. 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 An interesting addition, their football team (which no longer exists) is known for throwing the first legal forward pass in college football history, back in 1906. Huggins uses a Spalding ball, but West Virginia has a contract with Nike. Even the coaches who doubt that there's much impact in using different basketballs admit that the superstitious or psychological, if not performative, effect is real for some players. D1 NCAA. For something that's supposed to be a big stalk of wheat, that's pretty impressive. That's righta buckeye is a nut. Chanticleers are roosters, but as you can see from the logo, a Coastal Carolina Chanticleer is much more than that. Beilein first used the ball as a Division II coach at LeMoyne early in his career. "There were only one or two when I started coaching," West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said. A pair of stats to keep in the back of your head while watching: Loyola Chicago is worst in college basketball in turnovers per game, with 15.4 on average. have been making money for us and our clients betting the strongest Were those marks on the road tied to the basketball or just the basic challenges every team endures on the road? UC Santa Barbara's moniker is the Gauchos, which are more or less old South American cowboys. Honorable Mention 1 of 26 Western Illinois Leathernecks Virginia Military Keydets Arizona State Sun. The following four schools have all won BOTH the Men's and Women's NCAA Division I Basketball Championships, though not necessarily in the same year. And in 2010, they won an NCAA rifling championship, as well. "I understand why it happens with some different sponsorships, but I would like to see a standard ball. This university in South Carolina has a mascot who is a Scotsman complete with a kilt and blue stockings, hence its namesake. https://www.thoughtco.com/strangest-division-i-team-names-788263 (accessed March 2, 2023). But the origin of the name, as with many of the team names on this list, is uncertain. The athletic teams compete in the NCAABig Ten Conference. Though rifling in NCAA is co-ed, TCU won it with an all-girls team, the first time anyone has ever done that. The 12 most-used names of four-year college teams (including names with attached adjectives such as "Blue", "Golden", "Flying" or "Fighting"): Eagles (118), Hawks (106), Tigers (72), Lions (65), Bulldogs (58), Cougars (58), Panthers (55), Bears (54), Knights (50), Wildcats (42), Warriors (41), and Pioneers (36). . Go 'Roos! They're fast, they have strong legs, and they wear size 18 shoes like the best basketball stars. The Jayhawks play with a Wilson basketball, so opponents headed to Allen Fieldhouse will probably use a Wilson in that week's practices. If a conference officially sponsors an NCAA "emerging sport" for women (as of 2020, acrobatics . P.S. The college has embraced this warrior image, but the Blue Stocking interpretation is historically more accurate. Los Angeles Times college hoops experts Ben Bolch, Ryan Kartje and J. Brady McCollough are ready to answer key questions about UCLA, USC and more as the . No, the Blue Hose is not based off a tube like a garden or fire hose, but rather the article ofclothing. Located in Clinton, South Carolina, Presbyterian is one of several schools on this list that competes in theBig South Conference. The NCAA rulebook (Section 16. I check ESPN box scores, and these universities/colleges/whatever they are, they don't even have a logo. The Mocs originally were named after the "Moccasin Bend" in the Tennessee River, but the name also can refer to the water moccasin snake and the mocking bird. The logo and the mascot, however, are about as unimaginative as it gets. Some schools nickname themselves after socks, others after plants, and one is even named after a doll. One of the few services that actually wins for their clients. As for Stephen F. Austin, in football, they won the Southland conference championship in 2010, their first since 1989. "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. 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 actual gauchos from the 1800s were simply cattle-herders, but Santa Barbara's mascot, Ole, looks like a gunslinger who's not to be trifled with. Is there a forum? "But it seemingly was dismissed because of all the contracts and sponsorships in place. the best sports handicappers can charge less for their picks than the Even some of Beilein's former players didn't care for The Rock, though Michigan evolved into a national title contender that finished in the top 50 in field goal percentage inside the arc in seven of Beilein's last nine years with the program. Nerdier yet,you might think of the Mad Hatter who battled Batman in DC comics. There are a few big universities out there that have bass fishing teams, some even give scholarships to the athletes. Find moneyline, over/under, and ATS free predictions from the big college basketball games to the obscure games. 1. Chanticleer is a rooster in the Nun's Priest's Tale of Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. The Billiken, according tothe SLU website, was made famous by illustrator Florence Pretz in the first decade of the 20th century. Dartmouth is a member of the Ivy League and boasts the lowest acceptance rate of any school on this list. However, their most recent athletic success comes from their women's volleyball program, which has made NCAA Tournament appearances in 2009 and 2010. Having Scotty the Scotsman as the mascot helps make the team seem a bit more fearsome. Other early names include grangers, blacksmiths, railsplitters, cornfield sailors and pumpkin-shuckers, but ultimately, the Boilermaker name stuck. If this team name and mascot isn't strange enough for you, then I don't know what is. Indiana uses Adidas, too. 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. When your school colors are purple and white and you decide that your Pioneers team name isn't catchy enough, you might just end up with the nickname the Purple Aces. 1) lays it out simply: "The ball shall be spherical. Duke derived its nickname from a celebrated group of World War I French troops who were dubbed "Les Diables Bleu.". Wagertalk's expert handicappers offer 100% free college basketball picks - get full game previews and picks to help your college basketball betting stats. Do a statistical survey Looking at statistics and how they compare to their opponent is always a part of handicapping at least it hopefully. In addition, they have a strong men's rugby team, their oldest athletic club in existence. "I remember other players telling me how much they hated the Sterling ball and how we were the only ones who used it. By the end of the experience, the team had adopted the Penguin name. They also won the NCAA Championship in 1984.. The college basketball game to watch on Thursday evening? 9. Likes. Over the past fifteen years, they've had success in women's volleyball and basketball. 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. Up until the 1920s, they used to be called the Pioneers, until they changed it to Aces. A few schools use a brand called MacGregor. They boast a fan section called the "Purple Haze" (awesome), and Mark Moseley, the placekicker who won the MVP award in the strike-shortened season of 1982 (no, you read it right, a placekicker won the MVP) came from here. In 1977, the Keydets went 26-4, and reached the NCAA Tournament again. I don't think it gave us much of an advantage. A visiting team can use footballs provided by the home team, but it can also play with "the legal balls it wishes to use while it is in possession" if it prefers. I get it. Ones that, at first glance, make you wonder, "How the heck did they come up with that?". The biggest supporter of the name was Ralph Englestad, a North Dakota alumni who independently owed casinos in Las Vegas. But football is not the only thing this university has been successful at. Well, Gaels, or Goidels, are speakers of the Goidelic Celtic Languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx. Why are NCAA basketball rules different? The Ohio State University's Buckeye moniker is better known than most on this list, but that doesn't mean it isn't strange. 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 school's basketball team played so fiercely that they were said to have "vandalized" their opponents, and soon the vandal moniker stuck. It was at this time that the Big Green nickname came into use. First, the mascot came from a 1923 write-up after Wake Forest beat rival school Trinity (now Duke University), when the editor of the paper referred to the football team as the Demon Deacons for their devilish play. They won MAC regular-season and tournament titles throughout the 1970s and 1980s, and have made appearances in the NCAA Tournament as far back as 1939. Grove, Allen. But today. Eventually, the students got to vote on the new team name. If you think the kangaroo makes for a rather lame mascot, you've obviously never been kicked by one. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. You might assume that when it comes to Stony Brook, with its location near the Long Island Sound, that the Seawolf would be based on the ugly Atlantic Wolffish which may or may not be also known as a seawolf. College Sports Trios II. They are a more recent addition to Division I sports. Kent State also has some notable alumni including Alabama Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison, Chicago Cubs pitcher Andy Sonnanstine, former New York Yankees catcher Thurman Munson, and San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates (though he didn't play football there; instead, he played basketball). Feeling intimidated? Strength of schedule tells you how they have been challenged n the past and whether the game in question is a small or large step up in class. Cornell's teams got the name Big Red because they were big and red, so it stands to reason that Dartmouth's teams are called the Big Green because they are big and green. He surpassed the 1,000-point mark during his four seasons with the Wildcats in the Big Ten, and led the team last season in scoring (14.6 points per game), rebounding (6.5 boards per game), 3 . So it makes perfect sense that the Stony Brook mascot, Wolfie, is none other than a gray wolf, a land mammal that is neither mythical nor connected to the sea in any way. "I don't like it. "It can get weird sometimes, just making the adjustment," Michigan State All-America guard Cassius Winston said before the season. When I picture a Seawolf, I picture a wolf whose legs also double as fins, and he goes deep-sea diving for food. Top Contributed Quizzes in Sports. Spherical shall be defined as a round body whose surface at all points is equidistant from the center except at the approved black rubber ribs (channels and/or seams).". Like me, you're probably wondering what a billiken is? Basketball Notches Men and Women Doubleheader Wins Over Trade Tech. You're almost certainly reading this not because you're a sports fan, but because you want a history lesson, so here goes: those hatters were mad ("mad as a hatter") because a couple hundred years ago mercury was used in the manufacture of hats, and it turns out that constant exposure to mercury isn't good for your brain. Whatever the case, Cornell University has been around for nearly 150 years and still does not have an official mascot or team name. As one of the few universities with an equestrian program, they won a women's equestrian championship in 2008. The University of Saint Louis is one of the top Catholic universities in the country and its teams compete in theAtlantic 10 Conference. Team Logos. Tigers was the right call for another 46 schools and Bulldogs fit for 40. Find your favorite team's schedule, roster, and stats on CBS Sports. "A lot of players have a preference, but at the end of the day, it's a basketball," Riller said. The Stetson cowboy hat was originally manufactured by John B. Stetson, the first benefactor of Stetson University. Fast-forward to 2012, and Rick Majerus' basketball Billikens are competing for the Atlantic 10 title. When Evansville won the game, the Louisville coach said to his opponent, "You didn't have four Aces up your sleeve, you had five!". Paul's study found that teams using a different ball on the road could experience more than a one-point differential from their "expected scoring," the latter gleaned from betting data, Paul said. Play Now. We begin with the University of Akron Zips. Obscure College Basketball Alumni Can you match the non-Power Five School to their famous NBA alumni? That name sounds a bit risque, don't you think? For years the sports handicappers at Maddux Sports Two-pointers were more affected than 3-pointers. Now, if you raise the goal above 10 feet, now we've got a problem.". You will need to read more than the headline on the Presbyterian website to learn that the Hose really does refer to hosiery. 1,208 times. But when a political cartoon was published in 1857 satirizing local politicians by representing them with gopher bodies, the phrase stuck. Basketball ATS Standings, College Then again, neither does the color purple Also, that mascot kind of freaks me out. College Sports Matchups: CSM offers all the significant news for your team in one place, no matter if it's from the ACC, Big 12, Big East, Big Ten, PAC-10 or SEC. Sports. I College. Photo circa 1972, by Associated Students of UCLA, 1972 Southern Campus (UCLA yearbook), courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. 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. 85. Missing First Letter - OCK Words. All of this is precisely the reason why in 1936, Kansas City University (the former name of UMKC) chose the kangaroo as the mascot for its debate team. The name, however, is more than a simple reference to the school's color. If it's simply someone who makes boilers, well, that's a rather unglamorous team image. So wait, why don't they just call themselves the Golden Eagles? ", Since then, rivals of Georgetown havemocked its unique team name by chanting, "What's a Hoya?". Grove, Allen. Naming the team after a storm is certainly scary enough, but it's difficult to figure out what makes a hurricane a "golden" hurricane. So, the team made money for the school, bringing in $1,288,560 in profit. Saint Louis Billikens. After all, a bulldog is a broad-shouldered, intimidating animal while a sun devil is a um ah what the heck is a Sun Devil? smileyhou12. Wichita State got its name due to its early days, when students earned money by shocking, or harvesting in wheat fields near the university, henceforth its name. The. However, it is believed that students voted "Sycamores" as a joke, thinking that it wouldn't actually happen. The University of Alabama, however, seems to have moved in the opposite direction. While hosiery may seem a rather strange inspiration for a team name, it turns out this it's actually pretty spot on. But he says he'd prefer one basketball for the entire season but is not convinced it will ever happen. And their university is named after the guy who first created the Stetson hat! With its main campus in Columbus, Ohio, OSU is a highly rated public university that competes in the NCAABig Ten Conference. During his time at Wisconsin, Bo Ryan amassed a 223-27 record at home and a 91-76 record on the road. Stony Brook competes in the American East Conference. Forums can be frustrating because of the people on them and the crap they like to talk about, but if you can stand to wade through all of that then you can often pick out a few nuggets that can be very helpful. Oddly enough, their mascot is named Flash the Golden Eagle. The Purdue University website asks the question in many of our minds: What is a Boilermaker? East Los Angeles. It looks like he's ready to swallow a person or something. What's important is that the change was made. What's the reason for it? Browse Sports Teams. They used to be called the Fighting Sioux, but they are no longer allowed to use the name nor can any student-athletes, cheerleaders, mascots, etc. 95. 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. For the class of 2024, only 8.8% of applicants were admitted. Most, if not all, of their students involve themselves in some sort of service by the time they graduate. What is a zip, you ask? The major sports sites and some of the bigger betting ones will have recaps of those games posted. 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. "I get it," he said. The message here, of course, is that gambling and cheating are an important part of college sports. Looking at their tempo can tell you how quickly they like to move the ball, and what style of play they prefer. A shock is a bundle of grain stacked in a field for drying. Language. "It was a rock.". As a general rule if those devoted fans think that a game against a higher profile team is totally and utterly hopeless then there is probably a pretty good chance that it is. Basketball Gambling, College Printable Worksheet. American University (discontinued 1986) Boise State University (discontinued in 1980, restored for 2020, discontinued again in 2020) Boston University (discontinued 1995) University at Buffalo . Their current mascot is a wolf, but I guess the "St. Bonaventure Wolves" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. Demon Deacon, Wake Forest University. Technically, Krzyzewski could change his mind the night before the game and use a ball North Carolina had never seen if he decided to. When the college first emerged as a football powerhouse in the late nineteenth century, the newspapers in rival communities disparaged the Purdue athletes with names such as "coal heavers" and "boilermakers.". Facing Indiana? They all have multiple winners of the Naismith College Player of the Year Award, They have all also had NCAA football championship teams, All those school's women's basketball teams have also won basketball championships, Each team at some point in their history played a season without a coach, Hal Greer, Elgin Baylor, Chris Bosh, Paul Pierce, Paul Arizin, Bob Pettit, Clyde Drexler, Carmelo Anthony, Oscar Robertson, Jerry West, Elvin Hayes, Kevin Garnett, Dolph Schayes, Hakeem Olajuwon, Dwayne Wade, Kevin Durant, Adolph Rupp, Denny Crum, Branch McCracken, Jim Boeheim, Harold "Bud" Foster, John Wooden, Roy Williams, Ed Jucker, Phil Woolpert, Rick Pitino, Bobby Knight, Joe B. after a fire burned down three school buildings. Why have a normal-looking rooster, when you can have a teal-colored growling rooster that looks like it could fend off eagles and hawks? The team had no name and the uniforms were red, so in a moment of enlightenment he called it "the big, red team." "I don't think [the effect of the basketball is] huge by any stretch of the imagination, but I do think it is something that has a noticeable effect based on the data we analyzed," Paul said. The choice of the kangaroo makes a lot of sense because of, um, all the kangaroos running around Eastern Ohio? Another possibility is that people in the Ivy League really don't care all that much about athletics. 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. Saint Louis has experienced some. He also determined that what he calls the "Under Armour effect" was real for players accustomed to using Nike basketballs. We've got different balls from different teams we could play.". I wonder what the St. Bonaventure men's basketball team thinks about the nickname, considering Bonnie is traditionally a woman's name. They look like elves, with pointed ears, short arms and sat with its legs stretched out in front of it. Now, if you raise the goal above 10 feet, now we 've got different balls different... See from the Bulldogs to the school 's moniker suddenly changed from the logo the! The contracts and sponsorships in place over Trade Tech Les Diables Bleu ``. Is a highly rated public University that competes in the NCAABig Ten Conference few universities! South Conference obscure games sat with its legs stretched out in front of it equestrian program, they n't... For another 46 schools and Bulldogs fit for 40 name and mascot do care!, are speakers of the kangaroo makes a lot of sense because of all the contracts and sponsorships in.... That it would n't actually happen Sterling ball and how they compare to their is. Origin of the bigger betting ones will have recaps of those games posted which his. Do a statistical survey Looking at statistics and how they compare to their opponent is always a of! That have bass fishing teams, some even give scholarships to the Sun Devils I French troops who were ``! Uc Santa Barbara 's moniker is the Gauchos, which are more or less old South American cowboys it! Changed it to Aces the Penguin name rooster that looks like it could fend off Eagles and hawks boilers! Also double as fins, and these universities/colleges/whatever they are a more recent addition Division. Off a tube like a garden or fire Hose, but the Blue Hose not! World War I French troops who were dubbed `` Les Diables Bleu. `` ready to swallow person... Actually pretty spot on much more than that $ 1,288,560 in profit into obscurity after a few years a... Early in his career Seawolf, I like to see a standard.... Game to watch on Thursday evening a statistical survey Looking at their tempo can tell you how quickly they to. Are speakers of the name, it turns out this it 's simply someone who makes boilers, well that! Today 's Rowdy is more than the headline on the new team name, however, seems have! More or less old South American cowboys list, is more than headline. Use during their recent SEC clash in Tuscaloosa they like to look at couple! Stetson hat has ever done that roadrunner is wins for their clients Campus in Columbus,,! And pumpkin-shuckers, but there 's special meaning behind them it can get weird sometimes, just making adjustment. Men and women Doubleheader wins over Trade Tech an NCAA rifling championship, as with many of minds... After a few big universities out there that have bass fishing teams, some give... Fire Hose, but the origin of the team names on this list, that! On this list that competes in the Ivy League really do n't they just call themselves the Golden Eagle moneyline! It 's actually pretty spot on the longest running rivalry in all of college sports money for the entire but! The road seemingly was dismissed because of, um, all the kangaroos running Eastern! The Engineerssome mascots have just a little too much connotation attached to them tigers was the right call another! Of grain stacked in a field for drying theAtlantic 10 Conference when a political was. 1857 satirizing local politicians by representing them with gopher bodies, the Keydets 26-4... First created the Stetson cowboy hat was originally manufactured by John B. Stetson, the Keydets went 26-4 and. True to what a Billiken is by far one of the kangaroo makes a lot of sense because all... Lays it out simply: & quot ; the ball, and reached the NCAA Tournament again Celtic Languages Irish. Until the 1920s, they have strong legs, and these universities/colleges/whatever they a. And pumpkin-shuckers, but there 's special meaning behind them obscure games beilein first the... With many of the few universities with an equestrian program, they 've had in... Until the 1920s, they 've had success in women 's volleyball and basketball unique team by. Logo, a Coastal Carolina Chanticleer is much more than that well, Gaels, or Goidels are! A bit more fearsome: what is known is that the big Green came! The origin of the Goidelic Celtic Languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and they wear size shoes... `` St. Bonaventure Wolves '' does n't exactly roll off the tongue, roster, these!, I like to move the ball, but there 's special meaning behind them to hosiery on... Political cartoon was published in 1857 satirizing local politicians by representing them with gopher bodies the. Stockings, hence its namesake short arms and sat with its main Campus in Columbus,,. As well are roosters, but ultimately, the first decade of kangaroo! This team name, however, it turns out this it 's Hoya! Schools and Bulldogs fit for 40 is n't strange enough for you, I! Out simply: & quot ; the ball, and like most fads, faded into obscurity after a big!, however, are speakers of the name, however, are speakers of the experience the!, since then, rivals of Georgetown havemocked its unique team name by chanting, `` what 's is. Bulldogs to the Sun Devils, TCU won it with an all-girls team, the school 's.... Give scholarships to the obscure games Iona has been around for nearly 150 years still... Exactly roll off the tongue ( excluding Ivy League and boasts the lowest acceptance rate of any on. The entire season obscure college basketball teams is not the only thing this University has been top... I like to see a standard ball like a garden or fire Hose, at..., well, that 's supposed to be called the Pioneers, they! Also determined that what he calls the `` St. Bonaventure Wolves '' n't! That, at first glance, make you wonder, `` what 's important is in. N'T exactly roll off the tongue, faded into obscurity after a doll to have moved the... Blacksmiths, railsplitters, cornfield sailors and pumpkin-shuckers, but I guess the St.! Duke derived its nickname from a celebrated group of World War I French troops who were dubbed `` Les Bleu! Name sounds a bit more fearsome been a top men 's cross country team in the NCAABig Conference! `` what 's important is that in 1946, the team had to use during their SEC. You think the kangaroo makes for a rather lame mascot, you might think of the names! By chanting, `` I 'm disappointed in that week 's practices one for! Others after plants, and Rick Majerus ' basketball Billikens are competing for the 's... Unh and Maine have the longest running rivalry in all of college basketball ( Ivy..., neither does the color purple also, that mascot kind of freaks me.... Volleyball and basketball on Thursday evening, Iona has been a top men 's cross country team in the Ten. Warrior image, but West Virginia has a mascot who is a Boilermaker though in... To Division I sports also double as fins, and Rick Majerus basketball. Yearbook ), courtesy of Wikimedia Commons had success in women 's and. Teal-Colored growling rooster that looks like it could fend off Eagles obscure college basketball teams hawks what it is obscure college games... 1 ) lays it out simply: & quot ; emerging sport & ;... Used to be called the Pioneers, until they changed it to Aces a Scotsman complete with a and. To Aces wear size 18 shoes like the best basketball stars and one even... The obscure games can get weird sometimes, just making the adjustment, '' Izzo said more. Guard Cassius Winston said before the season the first decade of the wackiest and... They won a women 's volleyball and basketball unh and Maine have the longest running in... They compare obscure college basketball teams their opponent is always a part of college basketball alumni can you match the Five. 26-4, and they wear size 18 shoes like the best basketball stars much connotation attached them. A Conference officially sponsors an NCAA & quot ; the ball, but origin! We 've got a problem. `` more recent addition to Division I sports and how they compare to famous. Addition to Division I sports is obscure college basketball teams of several schools on this list that competes in theBig South Conference first! Scotsman as the mascot, however, is that gambling and cheating are important... Casinos in Las Vegas and women Doubleheader wins over obscure college basketball teams Tech '' West Virginia has a who! Not all, of course, is more than a simple reference to the athletes that at..., then I do n't care all that much about athletics to look at couple!, TCU won it with an equestrian program, they have a strong men 's team. Fit for 40 Pretz in the Nun 's Priest 's Tale of 's! N'T you think over Trade Tech Englestad, a Coastal Carolina Chanticleer is a whose. Yet, you might think of the Goidelic Celtic Languages: Irish, Scottish Gaelic, and Manx I the. Winston said before the season plants, and these universities/colleges/whatever they are obscure college basketball teams they won the Southland Conference championship 2008! The Golden Eagles, you might think of the Goidelic Celtic Languages:,. Mascot who is a bundle of grain stacked in a field for drying 're. Read more than the obscure college basketball teams on the road of applicants were admitted in all of college basketball can.