- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 374,708
- Reaction score
- 43
March Madness features great teams, brackets and — sometimes — overlooked mascots, who channel school spirit and get crowds fired up.
So who are the best mascots in the 2025 NCAA basketball tournament?
Sport Illustrated's Patrick Andres rated each school's mascot, except for Michigan, Illinois, San Diego State and Ole Miss, because each of those universities does not have a school-sanctioned mascot. In his field of 64, some stood out from the crowd.
More: Michigan State is 2-seed in March Madness, opponent is Bryant in NCAA tournament
Michigan State's Sparty not only made the list, he placed in the top 10. Andres' take on the best mascots includes:
Sparty, is the heart of the university, according to Michigan State's alumni page. The first mascot appeared in 1955 and started as a papier-mâché Spartan head made by Theta Xi fraternity.
More: Sparty almost ended up in the trash. Cyrus Stewart prevented that, and launched a legacy
The current Sparty, depicted as a Spartan with a muscular frame and dressed in full body armor, was created in early 1989 when a group of designers, led by Alumni Association graphic designer Dave Giordan, revamped the original mascot to better reflect the mission, community and traditions of the East Lansing university.
The individual who portrays the mascot remains anonymous during their tenure.
More: From the Archives: Sparty: MSU's beloved mascot
The Wolverine has long been a symbol of the university, but has never been an official mascot.
Since the 1860s, U-M students and alumni referred to themselves as "Wolverines" and although the reasoning for this is not definitively known, theories range from Michigan's pre-statehood fur trade to the 19th-century Toledo war, according to the University's alumni website.
The school has a history of bringing out live wolverines on the field and even had a "wolverbear" logo and an unofficial mascot in 1989, however, the Athletic Department has said in the past that the symbol is "unnecessary and undignified and would not properly reflect the spirit and values of Michigan athletics," according to the University.
Jalen Williams is a trending reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Sports Illustrated says Sparty is among the top mascots in the 2025 NCAA tournament
Continue reading...
So who are the best mascots in the 2025 NCAA basketball tournament?
Sport Illustrated's Patrick Andres rated each school's mascot, except for Michigan, Illinois, San Diego State and Ole Miss, because each of those universities does not have a school-sanctioned mascot. In his field of 64, some stood out from the crowd.
More: Michigan State is 2-seed in March Madness, opponent is Bryant in NCAA tournament
Which NCAA mascots made the top 10?
Michigan State's Sparty not only made the list, he placed in the top 10. Andres' take on the best mascots includes:
- D'Artagnan and the Blue Blob (Xavier): "...(A)t Xavier, the secondary mascot is the main attraction. That would be the Blue Blob, introduced as a kid-friendly alternative to D'Artagnan. A star of stage and screen, the ever-huggable, unflappable Blue Blob is as Cincinnati as Over-the-Rhine and Skyline Chili. Long may he roll," Andres said.
- Zippy (Akron): "She was No. 1 last year, and she is now the owner of her own NIL deal. Any other year, she'd be the champion, and she remains Ohio's only native kangaroo and a trailblazing female mascot," Andres said.
- The Oregon Duck (Oregon)
- Cosmo the Cougar (BYU)
- Albert and Alberta Gator (Florida)
- Sparty (Michigan State): "How many mascots are used as a credible stand-in for their team's name?" Andres asked.
- King Triton (UC San Diego)
- Uga (Georgia)
- Reveille (Texas A&M)
- Bully (Mississippi State)
Who is Sparty?
Sparty, is the heart of the university, according to Michigan State's alumni page. The first mascot appeared in 1955 and started as a papier-mâché Spartan head made by Theta Xi fraternity.
More: Sparty almost ended up in the trash. Cyrus Stewart prevented that, and launched a legacy
The current Sparty, depicted as a Spartan with a muscular frame and dressed in full body armor, was created in early 1989 when a group of designers, led by Alumni Association graphic designer Dave Giordan, revamped the original mascot to better reflect the mission, community and traditions of the East Lansing university.
The individual who portrays the mascot remains anonymous during their tenure.
More: From the Archives: Sparty: MSU's beloved mascot
The Wolverine is not Michigan's official mascot.
The Wolverine has long been a symbol of the university, but has never been an official mascot.
Since the 1860s, U-M students and alumni referred to themselves as "Wolverines" and although the reasoning for this is not definitively known, theories range from Michigan's pre-statehood fur trade to the 19th-century Toledo war, according to the University's alumni website.
The school has a history of bringing out live wolverines on the field and even had a "wolverbear" logo and an unofficial mascot in 1989, however, the Athletic Department has said in the past that the symbol is "unnecessary and undignified and would not properly reflect the spirit and values of Michigan athletics," according to the University.
Jalen Williams is a trending reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Sports Illustrated says Sparty is among the top mascots in the 2025 NCAA tournament
Continue reading...
