Fan Survey Ranks Best And Worst Mascots In College Basketball

With conference tournaments in full swing and the NCAA Tournament on the horizon, an online gambling company called Time2Play surveyed nearly 1,500 college basketball fans across 50 states to rank their favorite mascots.

Using the top 70 schools in terms of NCAA Tournament appearances – excluding Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and UNLV, since they don’t have official mascots – the survey netted the following results:

1. Oregon – The Duck
2. Michigan State – Sparty
3. Georgetown – Jack the Bulldog
4. North Carolina – Ramses
5. Texas – Hook ‘Em
6. UCLA – Joe Bruin
7. Florida – Albert Gator 
8. UConn – Jonathan the Husky
9. Louisville – Louie
10. Kansas – Big Jay
11. VCU – Rodney the Ram
12. Kentucky – Wildcat
13. Marquette – Golden Eagle 
14. Villanova – Will D. Cat
15. USC – Trojan
16. Houston – Shasta and Sasha
17. Alabama – Big Al
18. Princeton – The Tiger
19. Pittsburgh – ROC the Panther
20. Butler – Hink the Bulldog
21. LSU – Mike the Tiger
22. Washington – Harry the Husky
23. Arkansas – Big Red
24. Florida State – Cimarron 
25. Cincinnati – Bearcat

The 10 worst mascots, meanwhile, were as follows:

1. Providence – Friar Dom
2. New Mexico State – Pistol Pete
3. Stanford – Tree
4. California – Oski the Bear
5. Tulsa – Captain Cane
6. Kansas State – Willie Wildcat
7. Purdue – Purdue Pete
8. Oklahoma State – Pistol Pete
9. Western Kentucky – Big Red
10. Xavier – The Blue Blob

Fifty-seven percent of respondents to the survey were male and 43 percent were female with an average age of 38. They also answered questions such as who they would invite to a child’s birthday party and which they would least like to run into in a dark alley.

Oregon’s mascot once again led the way when it comes to the child’s birthday party, followed by Alabama’s Big Al, Houston’s Shasta and Sasha, Xavier’s Blue Blob and Butler’s bulldog. 

“Perhaps physical similarities the Duck shares with a certain Disney character helped him to land the top spot,” Time2Play’s Ben Treanor said.

Naturally, nobody wanted to see Providence’s mascot in the alley, followed by New Mexico State’s Pistol Pete, Duke’s Blue Devil, Notre Dame’s Leprechaun and Oklahoma State’s Pistol Pete.

“There must be something about those giant, lifeless eyes that really gives fans the heebie-jeebies,” Treanor said. 

With that, we’d love to hear your thoughts on the survey. What mascot is too high? How about too low? Leave your thoughts in the comments below!

Photos courtesy of the University of Oregon and Time2Play.

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