Tournament Challenge guide to team mascots, school colors and famous

• Sachin Dave Chandan, Researcher/reporterMar 18, 2024, 08:00 PM ET

The NCAA tournament is full of the usual suspects like North Carolina and Duke, but every year there are new mascots, school colors and fight songs to learn, too.

If you are filling out a bracket and need to find inspiration in the team’s traditions or want to know who might be rooting along with you, we’ve researched each school in the tournament to give you all the information at hand, organized by region and seeds, to make it easy to pick them in Tournament Challenge, where you can create up to 25 brackets for free.

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Information was scoured from public sources, and some (including student enrollment numbers) might be slightly out of date. We also apologize in advance if we left off your favorite actor/athlete/politician/relative from the list of notable alumni. It was (probably) unintentional, and there’s nothing to read into it. But we had fun with this, and we hope you do too.

East region

(1) UConn Huskies
Storrs, Connecticut

Conference: Big East | Enrollment: 32,332
Mascot: Jonathan the Husky | Fight song: “UConn Husky”
Official color(s): Navy blue, gray and white
Notable alumni: Ray Allen, Rebecca Lobo, Diana Taurasi, Maya Moore, Sue Bird, Dan Orlovsky

(2) Iowa State Cyclones
Ames, Iowa

Conference: Big 12 | Enrollment: 30,177
Mascot: Cy the Cardinal | Fight song: “ISU Fights”
Official color(s): Cardinal and gold
Notable alumni: Brock Purdy, Tyrese Haliburton, Fred Hoiberg, Jeff Hornacek

(3) Illinois Fighting Illini
Champaign, Illinois

Conference: Big Ten | Enrollment: 56,403
Mascot: N/A | Fight song: “Oskee-Wow-Wow”
Official color(s): Orange and blue
Notable alumni: Hugh Hefner, Jesse Jackson, Dick Butkus, Deron Williams

(4) Auburn Tigers
Auburn, Alabama

Conference: SEC | Enrollment: 33,015
Mascot: Aubie the Tiger | Fight song: “War Eagle”
Official color(s): Burnt orange and navy blue
Notable alumni: Charles Barkley, Bo Jackson, Jimmy Buffett, Lionel Richie, Octavia Spencer

(5) San Diego State Aztecs
San Diego

Conference: Mountain West | Enrollment: 37,539
Mascot: Aztec Warrior | Fight song: “Fight song”
Official color(s): Black and scarlet
Notable alumni: Tony Gwynn, Marshall Faulk, Stephen Strasburg, Kawhi Leonard, Herm Edwards, Raquel Welch

(6) BYU Cougars
Provo, Utah

Conference: Big 12 | Enrollment: 34,937
Mascot: Cosmo the Cougar | Fight song: “The Cougar Song”
Official color(s): Blue and white
Notable alumni: Andy Reid, Ken Jennings, Mark Rober, Kaskade, Danny Ainge, Mike Leach

(7) Washington State Cougars
Pullman, Washington

Conference: Pac-12 | Enrollment: 22,612
Mascot: Butch T. Cougar | Fight song:
Official color(s): Crimson and grey
Notable alumni: Krist Novoselic, Paul Allen, Klay Thompson

(8) Florida Atlantic Owls
Boca Raton, Florida

Conference: Conference USA | Enrollment: 30,000
Mascot: Owlsley and Hoot | Fight song: “FAU Fight song”
Official color(s): Blue and red
Notable alumni: Tecia Torres, Devin Singletary, Don Brewer, Shannon Spake

(9) Northwestern Wildcats
Evanston, Illinois

Conference: Big Ten | Enrollment: 22,732
Mascot: Willie the Wildcat | Fight song: “Go U, Northwestern”
Official color(s): Purple and white
Notable alumni: Warren Beatty, Michael Wilbon, Daryl Morey, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex

(10) Drake Bulldogs
Des Moines, Iowa

Conference: Missouri Valley | Enrollment: 4,884
Mascot: Spike | Fight song: “The ‘D’ Song”
Official color(s): Drake blue, black and white
Notable alumni: Michael Emerson, Zach Johnson

(11) Duquesne Dukes
Pittsburgh

Conference: A-10 | Enrollment: 8,179
Mascot: The Duke | Fight song: “The Victory Song”
Official color(s): Red and blue
Notable alumni: Dan Rooney, Chip Ganassi, John Clayton

(12) UAB Blazers
Birmingham, Alabama

Conference: American | Enrollment: 22,563
Mascot:Blaze | Fight song:“Fight song”
Official color(s): Forest green and gold
Notable alumni: Roddy White, Sam Hunt, Graeme McDowell

(13) Yale Bulldogs
New Haven, Connecticut

Conference: Ivy League | Enrollment: 14,776
Mascot: Handsome Dan | Fight song: “Bulldog”
Official color(s): Blue and white
Notable alumni: Ron Darling, Anderson Cooper, Kathryn Hahn, Meryl Streep

(14) Morehead State Eagles
Morehead, Kentucky

Conference: Ohio Valley Conference | Enrollment: 9,000
Mascot: Beaker | Fight song:“Fight, fight, fight for Morehead”
Official color(s): Blue and gold
Notable alumni: Phil Simms, Jon Rauch, Liz Johnson

(15) South Dakota State Jackrabbits
Brookings, South Dakota

Conference: Summit League | Enrollment: 11,505
Mascot: Jack the Jackrabbit | Fight song: “Ring the Bell”
Official color(s): Blue and yellow
Notable alumni: Harvey Dunn, Dallas Goedert, Adam Vinatieri

(16) Stetson Hatters
DeLand, Florida

Conference: ASUN | Enrollment: 3,670
Mascot: John B. the Hatter | Fight song:“Go, Hatters, Go”
Official color(s): Green and white
Notable alumni: Jacob deGrom, Corey Kluber, Wilma Burgess

Midwest region

(1) Purdue Boilermakers
West Lafayette, Indiana

Conference: Big Ten | Enrollment: 52,211
Mascot: Boilermaker Special | Fight song: “Hail Purdue!”
Official color(s): Old gold and black
Notable alumni: Neil Armstrong, Orville Redenbacher, Jim Gaffigan, John Wooden, Drew Brees

(2) Tennessee Volunteers
Knoxville, Tennessee

Conference: SEC | Enrollment: 36,122
Mascot: Smokey | Fight song: “Down the Field”
Official color(s): Tennessee orange and smokey
Notable alumni: Peyton Manning, Reggie White, Candace Parker, Chris Moneymaker, Lou Albano

(3) Creighton Bluejays
Omaha, Nebraska

Conference: Big East | Enrollment: 7,700
Mascot: Billy Bluejay | Fight song: “The White and the Blue”
Official color(s): White and blue
Notable alumni: Kyle Korver, Bob Gibson, Paul Silas

(4) Kansas Jayhawks
Lawrence, Kansas

Conference: Big 12 | Enrollment: 29,355
Mascot: Big Jay and Baby Jay | Fight song: “I’m a Jayhawk”
Official color(s): Crimson and blue
Notable alumni: Wilt Chamberlain, Dean Smith, Paul Rudd, Don Johnson, Rob Riggle, Scott Bakula, Nikki Glaser

(5) Gonzaga Bulldogs
Spokane, Washington

Conference: West Coast Conference | Enrollment: 7,306
Mascot: Spike the Bulldog | Fight song: “Go Gonzaga”
Official color(s): Blue and white
Notable alumni: John Stockton, Bing Crosby

(6) South Carolina Gamecocks
Columbia, South Carolina

Conference: SEC | Enrollment: 36,300
Mascot: Sir Big Spur | Fight song: “The Fighting Gamecocks Lead the Way”
Official color(s): Garnet and black
Notable alumni: Leeza Gibbons, Mike Colter, Darius Rucker

(7) Texas Longhorns
Austin, Texas

Conference: Big 12 | Enrollment: 53,000
Mascot: Bevo | Fight song: “Texas Fight”
Official color(s): Burnt orange and white
Notable alumni: Matthew McConaughey, Neil deGrasse Tyson, Kevin Durant, Janis Joplin, Walter Cronkite

(8) Utah State Aggies
Logan, Utah

Conference: Mountain West | Enrollment: 20,027
Mascot: Big Blue | Fight song: “Hail the Utah Aggies”
Official color(s): Navy blue, white and pewter gray
Notable alumni: Jordan Love, Bobby Wagner, Merlin Olsen, Sawyer Hemsley

(9) TCU Horned Frogs
Fort Worth, Texas

Conference: Big 12 | Enrollment: 12,785
Mascot: Superfrog | Fight song: “TCU Fight song”
Official color(s): Horned Frog Purple and White
Notable alumni: LaDainian Tomlinson, Andy Dalton, Scott Brooks

(10) Virginia Cavaliers
Charlottesville, Virginia

Conference: ACC | Enrollment: 23,721
Mascot: Cavalier | Fight song: “The Cavalier Song”
Official color(s): Orange and blue
Notable alumni: Edgar Allen Poe, William Faulkner, Georgia O’Keeffe, Richard Byrd, Tina Fey, Robert F. Kennedy, Janet Napolitano, Will Shortz, Katie Couric, David Baldacci

(10) Colorado State Rams
Fort Collins, Colorado

Conference: Mountain West | Enrollment: 33,648
Mascot: CAM the Ram | Fight song: “Fight Song”
Official color(s): Green and white
Notable alumni: Leslie Jones, Becky Hammon, Shaquil Barrett

(11) Oregon Ducks
Eugene, Oregon

Conference: Pac-12 | Enrollment: 23,834
Mascot: The Oregon Duck | Fight song: “Mighty Oregon”
Official color(s): Green and yellow
Notable alumni: Phil Knight, Kaitlin Olson, Neil Everett, Ahmad Rashad

(12) McNeese Cowboys
Lake Charles, Louisiana

Conference: Southland | Enrollment: 6,454
Mascot: Rowdy | Fight song: “Jole Blon”
Official color(s): Blue and gold
Notable alumni: R.C. Slocum, Joe Dumars, Adam Johnson

(13) Samford Bulldogs
Homewood, Alabama

Conference: Southern | Enrollment: 5,791
Mascot: Sam the bulldog | Fight song: “Fight song”
Official color(s): Blue and red
Notable alumni: Tony Hale, James Briscione, Bobby Bowden

(14) Akron Zips
Akron, Ohio

Conference: MAC | Enrollment: 13,940
Mascot: Zippy | Fight song: “Akron Blue & Gold”
Official color(s): Blue and gold
Notable alumni: Yvette Nicole Brown, Jim Tressel, Keith Dambrot

(15) Saint Peter’s Peacocks
Jersey City, New Jersey

Conference: MAAC | Enrollment: 3,673
Mascot: Pete the Peacock | Fight song: “Fight Song”
Official color(s): Blue and white
Notable alumni: Bob Hurley, Victor Santos, Bob Menendez

(16) Montana State Bobcats
Bozeman, Montana

Conference: Big Sky | Enrollment: 16,976
Mascot: Champ | Fight song: “Stand Up and Cheer”
Official color(s): Blue and gold
Notable alumni: Craig Kilborn, Sam McCullum, Jan Stenerud

(16) Grambling Tigers
Grambling, Louisiana

Conference: SWAC | Enrollment: 5114
Mascot: Eddie the Tiger | Fight song: “Fight Song”
Official color(s): Black and gold
Notable alumni: Erykah Badu, E-40, Doug Williams, Charlie Joiner

South region

(1) Houston Cougars
Houston

Conference: American | Enrollment: 46,676
Mascot: Shasta | Fight song: “Cougar Fight song”
Official color(s): Scarlet and albino
Notable alumni: Hakeem Olajuwon, Jim Parsons, Lil Wayne

(2) Marquette Golden Eagles
Milwaukee

Conference: Big East | Enrollment: 11,373
Mascot: Golden Eagle | Fight song: “Ring Out Ahoya”
Official color(s): Blue and gold
Notable alumni: Rick Majerus, Chris Farley, Tom Snyder, Rachel Lindsay

(3) Kentucky Wildcats
Lexington, Kentucky

Conference: SEC | Enrollment: 34,070
Mascot: The Wildcat | Fight song: “On, On, U of K”
Official color(s): Wildcat blue
Notable alumni: Pat Riley, Ashley Judd, Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Davis, Miss Elizabeth

(4) Duke Blue Devils
Durham, North Carolina

Conference: ACC | Enrollment: 16,539
Mascot: Blue Devil | Fight song: “Fight Blue Devils”
Official color(s): Duke blue and white
Notable alumni: Adam Silver, Ken Jeong, Richard Nixon, Melinda Gates, Judy Woodruff, Jay Bilas

(5) Wisconsin Badgers
Madison, Wisconsin

Conference: Big Ten | Enrollment: 35,665
Mascot: Bucky Badger | Fight song: “On, Wisconsin!”
Official color(s): Red and white
Notable alumni: Phil Hellmuth, Manu Raju, Andy Katz, J.J. Watt, Robert Greene

(6) Texas Tech Red Raiders
Lubbock, Texas

Conference: Big 12 | Enrollment: 40,944
Mascot: Raider Red | Fight song:
Official color(s): Red and black
Notable alumni: Darvin Ham, Tilman Fetitta, Johnny Hardwick

(7) Florida Gators
Gainsville, Florida

Conference: SEC | Enrollment: 61,112
Mascot: Albert and Alberta Gator | Fight song: “The Orange and Blue”
Official color(s): Orange and blue
Notable alumni: Faye Dunaway, Darrell Hammond, Stephen Root, Bob Vila

(8) Nebraska Cornhuskers
Lincoln, Nebraska

Conference: Big Ten | Enrollment: 24,087
Mascot: Herbie Husker | Fight song: “Hail Varsity”
Official color(s): Scarlet and cream
Notable alumni: Johnny Carson, Willa Cather, Warren Buffett, ESPN’s Shelley Smith

(9) Texas A&M Aggies
College Station, Texas

Conference: SEC | Enrollment:
Mascot: Reveille | Fight song: “Aggie War Hymn”
Official color(s): Maroon and white
Notable alumni: Lyle Lovett, Rick Perry, Myles Garrett, Granger Smith

(10) Boise State Broncos
Boise, Idaho

Conference: Mountain West | Enrollment: 26,727
Mascot: Buster Bronco | Fight song: “Orange and Blue”
Official color(s): Orange and blue
Notable alumni: Doug Martin, Jay Ajayi, Kellen Moore, Scott Jorgensen

(10) Colorado Buffaloes
Boulder, Colorado

Conference: Pac-12 | Enrollment: 36,430
Mascot: Ralphie the Buffalo | Fight song: “Fight song”
Official color(s): Black and gold
Notable alumni: Trey Parker, Mason Crosby, Chris Fowler

(11) NC State Wolfpack
Raleigh, North Carolina

Conference: ACC | Enrollment: 36,000
Mascot: Mr. and Mrs. Wuf | Fight song:“Fight song” and “Red and white song”
Official color(s): Wolfpack red, white, and black
Notable alumni: Zach Galifianakis, Trea Turner, Philip Rivers, Debbie Antonelli, John Tesh

(12) James Madison Dukes
Harrisonburg, Virginia

Conference: Sun Belt | Enrollment: 22,224
Mascot: Duke Dog | Fight song: “”Fight Song””
Official color(s): Purple and gold
Notable alumni: Phil Vassar, Jim Acosta, Tony Schiavone

(13) Vermont Catamounts
Burlington, Vermont

Conference: America East | Enrollment:
Mascot: Rally | Fight song: “Vermont Victory”
Official color(s): Green and gold
Notable alumni: Ben Affleck, John Dewey, Martin St. Louis

(14) Oakland Golden Grizzlies
Rochester, Michigan

Conference: Horizon League | Enrollment:
Mascot: Grizz | Fight song: “OU Fight”
Official color(s): Black and gold
Notable alumni: Elizabeth Reaser, Robert Englund, David Hasselhoff

(15) Western Kentucky Hilltoppers
Bowling Green, Kentucky

Conference: Conference USA | Enrollment: 16,495
Mascot: Big Red | Fight song: “Stand Up and Cheer”
Official color(s): Red and white
Notable alumni: Michael Rosenbaum, John Carpenter, Tyler Higbee

(16) Longwood Lancers
Farmville, Virginia

Conference: Big South | Enrollment: 5,096
Mascot: Elwood | Fight song: Blue and white
Official color(s): Blue and white
Notable alumni: Jason Mraz, Michael Tucker, Quincy Taylor

West region

(1) North Carolina Tar Heels
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Conference: ACC | Enrollment: 32,234
Mascot: Rameses | Fight song: “I’m a Tar Heel Born”
Official color(s): Carolina blue and white
Notable alumni: Michael Jordan, Stuart Scott, Andy Griffith, Chase Rice, Brooke Baldwin

(2) Arizona Wildcats
Tucson, Arizona

Conference: Pac-12 | Enrollment: 49,403
Mascot: Wilbur and Wilma | Fight song: “Fight Wildcats, Fight!”
Official color(s): UA Red and Arizona Blue
Notable alumni: Richard Jefferson, Gilbert Arenas, Kourtney Kardashian, Nicole Richie, Kenny Lofton

(3) Baylor Bears
Waco, Texas

Conference: Big 12 | Enrollment: 20,824
Mascot: Bruiser & Marigold | Fight song: “Old Fite”
Official color(s): Green and gold
Notable alumni: Willie Nelson, Jeff Dunham, Robert Griffin III

(4) Alabama Crimson Tide
Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Conference: SEC | Enrollment: 39,623
Mascot: Big Al | Fight song: “Yea Alabama”
Official color(s): Crimson and white
Notable alumni: Julio Jones, Bear Bryant, Jimmy Wales, Justin Thomas, Dabo Swinney, Harper Lee, Joe Namath

(5) Saint Mary’s Gaels
Moraga, California

Conference: West Coast | Enrollment: 2,765
Mascot: Gael Force One | Fight song: “On to Victory”
Official color(s): Navy, red and silver
Notable alumni: Tony Martin, Mahershala Ali

(6) Clemson Tigers
Clemson, South Carolina

Conference: ACC | Enrollment: 28,747
Mascot: The Tiger | Fight song: “Tiger Rag”
Official color(s): Orange and regalia
Notable alumni: Nancy O’Dell, Rob Huebel, James Michael Tyler

(7) Dayton Flyers
Dayton, Ohio

Conference: Atlantic 10 | Enrollment: 11,378
Mascot: Rudy Flyer | Fight song: “Victory”
Official color(s): Red and blue
Notable alumni: Dan Patrick, Amy Schneider, Anthony Grant, Jon Gruden

(8) Mississippi State Bulldogs
Starkville, Mississippi

Conference: SEC | Enrollment:
Mascot: Bulldogs | Fight song: “Hail State”
Official color(s): Maroon and white
Notable alumni: John Grisham, Dak Prescott, Machine Gun Kelly, Will Clark, Rafael Palmeiro

(9) Michigan State Spartans
East Lansing, Michigan

Conference: Big Ten | Enrollment:
Mascot: Sparty | Fight song: “Victory for MSU”
Official color(s): Green and white
Notable alumni: Magic Johnson, Le’Veon Bell, Bubba Smith, Dan Gilbert, Geoff Johns

(10) Nevada Wolf Pack
Reno, Nevada

Conference: Mountain West | Enrollment: 21,778
Mascots: Alphie, Wolfie Jr., Luna | Fight song: “Hail to Our Sturdy Team”
Official color(s): Navy blue and silver
Notable alumni: Colin Kaepernick, Gina Carano

(11) New Mexico Lobos
Albuquerque, New Mexico

Conference: Mountain West | Enrollment:
Mascot: Lobo Louie | Fight song:
Official color(s): Red and silver
Notable alumni: Luc Longley, Holly Holm, Brian Urlacher

(12) Grand Canyon Lopes
Phoenix

Conference: Western Athletic | Enrollment:
Mascot: Thunder the Antelope | Fight song: “GCU Fight song”
Official color(s): Purple, black and white
Notable alumni: Henry Cejudo, Tim Salmon, Kevin Warren

(13) Charleston Cougars
Charleston, South Carolina

Conference: CAA | Enrollment:
Mascot: Clyde the Cougar | Fight song: “Cougars Fight On!”
Official color(s): Maroon and white
Notable alumni: Edwin McCain, Brett Gardner, Thomas Gibson

(14) Colgate Raiders
Hamilton, New York

Conference: Patriot League | Enrollment:
Mascot: Raider | Fight song: “Fight, Fight, Fight”
Official color(s): Maroon and white
Notable alumni: Jay Chandrasekhar, Bob Woodruff, Mike Milbury, Ben Cohen, Andy Rooney

(15) Long Beach State Beach
Long Beach, California

Conference: Big West | Enrollment: 40,190
Mascot: Elbee | Fight song: “Fight Song”
Official color(s): Black and gold
Notable alumni: Steven Spielberg, Jason Giambi, Steve Martin

(16) Howard Bison
Washington, D.C.

Conference: MEAC | Enrollment: 9,689
Mascot: Bison | Fight song: “Fight song”
Official color(s): Navy blue and white
Notable alumni: Kamala Harris, Taraji P. Henson, Stan Verrett, Toni Morrison, Thurgood Marshall

(16) Wagner Seahawks
Staten Island, New York

Conference: NEC | Enrollment: 2,200
Mascot: Wagner Seahawk | Fight song: “Fight Song”
Official color(s): Green and white
Notable alumni: Dan Mullen, Tim Capstraw, Robert Loggia