2026 Tournament Challenge guide to team mascots, school colors and famous alumniDo you pick your brackets based on the coolest mascots? It’s ok, we’re not judging. Rich Graessle/Icon SportswireSach ChandanMar 16, 2026, 05:58 PM ETMultiple Authors
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If you’ve never filled out a college basketball bracket, it can all seem quite intimidating. How many teams? How many games?
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If you can’t tell your Michigan from your Michigan State, if you wonder about the difference between a Kentucky Wildcat and an Arizona Wildcat, or even if you’re filling out a bracket by looking for the coolest mascots, then we have good news for you. We’ve researched each school in the men’s tournament to put all of that non-basketball information in one place, organized by region and seeds, to make it easier to fill out your brackets in ESPN’s Tournament Challenge, where you can create up to 25 brackets for free.
We 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.
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East region
(1) Duke Blue Devils
Durham, North Carolina
Conference: ACC | Enrollment: 10,000+
Mascot: Blue Devil | Fight song: “Fight Blue Devils”
Official color(s): Duke blue and white
Notable alumni: Adam Silver, Ken Jeong, Melinda Gates, Jay Williams, Jay Bilas
(2) UConn Huskies
Storrs, Connecticut
Conference: Big East | Enrollment: 30,000+
Mascot: Jonathan the Husky | Fight song: “UConn Husky”
Official color(s): Navy blue, gray and white
Notable alumni: Donovan Clingan, Meg Ryan, Diana Taurasi, Paige Bueckers, Sue Bird, Dan Orlovsky
(3) Michigan State Spartans
East Lansing, Michigan
Conference: Big Ten | Enrollment: 50,000+
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
(4) Kansas Jayhawks
Lawrence, Kansas
Conference: Big 12 | Enrollment: 30,000+
Mascot: Big Jay and Baby Jay | Fight song: “I’m a Jayhawk”
Official color(s): Crimson and blue
Notable alumni: Wilt Chamberlain, Joel Embiid, Paul Rudd, Don Johnson, Rob Riggle, Scott Bakula, Nikki Glaser
(5) St. John’s Red Storm
New York City, New York
Conference: Big East | Enrollment: 10,000+
Mascot: Red Storm Thunderbird | Fight song: “All Hail St. John’s Red Storm”
Official color(s): Red and white
Notable alumni: Mark Jackson, J. Cole, Lou Carnesecca, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Chris Mullin
(6) Louisville Cardinals
Louisville, Kentucky
Conference: ACC | Enrollment: 20,000+
Mascot: Louie the Cardinal | Fight song: “Fight! U of L”
Official color(s): Red and black
Notable alumni: Diane Sawyer, Sue Grafton, Lamar Jackson, Donovan Mitchell
(7) UCLA Bruins
Los Angeles
Conference: Big Ten | Enrollment: 40,000+
Mascot: Joe Bruin | Fight song: “Sons of Westwood and the Mighty Bruins”
Official color(s): UCLA Blue and UCLA Gold
Notable alumni: Jackie Robinson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Arthur Ashe, Ben Stiller, Jack Black, Gabrielle Union
(8) Ohio State Buckeyes
Columbus, Ohio
Conference: Big Ten | Enrollment: 60,000+
Mascot: Brutus Buckeye | Fight song: “Buckeye Battle Cry”
Official color(s): Scarlet, grey, and white
Notable alumni: Roy Lichtenstein, Patricia Heaton, Richard Lewis, Eddie George, Mike Conley
(9) TCU Horned Frogs
Fort Worth, Texas
Conference: Big 12 | Enrollment: 10,000+
Mascot: Superfrog | Fight song: “TCU Fight song”
Official color(s): Horned Frog Purple and White
Notable alumni: LaDainian Tomlinson, Sammy Baugh, Shantel VanSanten, Scott Brooks
(10) UCF Knights
Orlando, Florida
Conference: Big 12 | Enrollment: 60,000+
Mascot: Knightro | Fight song: “Charge On”
Official color(s): Black and gold
Notable alumni: Robert Venditti, Jonathan Mangum, Blake Bortles, Michelle Akers, Seth Petruzelli
(11) South Florida Bulls
Tampa, Florida
Conference: American | Enrollment: 40,000+
Mascot: Rocky D. Bull | Fight song: “USF Fight Song”
Official color(s): Green and gold
Notable alumni: Tony La Russa, Jason Pierre-Paul, Tamsen Fadal, Aasif Mandvi
(12) Northern Iowa Panthers
Cedar Falls, Iowa
Conference: Missouri Valley | Enrollment: Under 10,000
Mascot: TC and TK Panther | Fight song: “UNI Fight”
Official color(s): Purple and gold
Notable alumni: Kurt Warner, Brittni Donaldson, Nick Nurse, Chris Kleiman
(13) California Baptist Lancers
Riverside, California
Conference: WAC | Enrollment: 11,491
Mascot: Lance the Lancer | Fight song: “Lance up, CBU”
Official color(s): Navy blue, gold, and white
Notable alumni: Drew Shirley, Brent Kutzle, Dustin-Leigh Konzelman
(14) North Dakota State Bison
Fargo, North Dakota
Conference: Missouri Valley | Enrollment: 10,000+
Mascot: Thundar | Fight song: “On Bison”
Official color(s): Green and yellow
Notable alumni: Carson Wentz, Humayun Ahmed, Gus Bradley, Trey Lance
(15) Furman Paladins
Greenville, South Carolina
Conference: Southern Conference | Enrollment: Under 5,000
Mascot: Victor the Paladin | Fight song: “The Paladins Song”
Official color(s): Royal purple and white
Notable alumni: Billy Napier, Amy Grant, Clint Dempsey, Xavier Woods, Dottie Pepper
(16) Siena Saints
Loudonville, New York
Conference: MAAC | Enrollment: Under 10,000
Mascot: Baloo and Bernie St. Bernard | Fight song: “Put on your old green bonnet”
Official color(s): Green and gold
Notable alumni: Wendy Moniz, Len Roberts, Jeff Hafley, Matt Gage
Midwest region
(1) Michigan Wolverines
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Conference: Big Ten | Enrollment: 50,000+
Mascot: N/A | Fight song: “The Victors”
Official color(s): Maize and blue
Notable alumni: Adam Schefter, Tom Brady, Madonna, Judd Winick, Rick Bayless
(2) Iowa State Cyclones
Ames, Iowa
Conference: Big 12 | Enrollment: 30,000+
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) 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, Val Ackerman, Tina Fey, Chris Canty, David Baldacci
(4) Alabama Crimson Tide
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Conference: SEC | Enrollment: 40,000+
Mascot: Big Al | Fight song: “Yea Alabama”
Official color(s): Crimson and white
Notable alumni: Jalen Hurts, Frank Lary, Jimmy Wales, Dabo Swinney, Harper Lee, Joe Namath
(5) Texas Tech Red Raiders
Lubbock, Texas
Conference: Big 12 | Enrollment: 40,000+
Mascot: Raider Red | Fight song: “Fight, Raiders, Fight”
Official color(s): Red and black
Notable alumni: Michael Crabtree, Tilman Fetitta, Scott Pelley, Patrick Mahomes, Alexis Tipton
(6) Tennessee Volunteers
Knoxville, Tennessee
Conference: SEC | Enrollment: 30,000+
Mascot: Smokey | Fight song: “Down the Field”
Official color(s): Orange and white
Notable alumni: Peyton Manning, Reggie White, Candace Parker, Chris Moneymaker, Scott Kelly
(6) Georgia Bulldogs
Athens, Georgia
Conference: SEC | Enrollment: 40,000+
Mascot: Uga and Hairy Dawg | Fight song: “Glory, Glory”
Official color(s): Red and black
Notable alumni: Michael Stipe, Deborah Roberts, Matthew Stafford, Ernie Johnson, Anthony Edwards
(7) Kentucky Wildcats
Lexington, Kentucky
Conference: SEC | Enrollment: 30,000+
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, Story Musgrave
(9) Saint Louis Billikens
St. Louis, Missouri
Conference: A-10 | Enrollment: 10,000+
Mascot: The Billiken | Fight song: “SLU Fight Song”
Official color(s): Blue and white
Notable alumni: Dennis O’Neil, James Gunn, Tim Ream, Michelle Mainelli
(10) Santa Clara Broncos
Santa Clara, California
Conference: WCC | Enrollment: Under 10,000
Mascot: Bucky the Bronco | Fight song: “Fight for Santa Clara”
Official color(s): Red and white
Notable alumni: Brandi Chastain, Steve Nash, Shemar Moore
(11) Miami (OH) RedHawks
Oxford, Ohio
Conference: MAC | Enrollment: 10,000+
Mascot: Swoop the RedHawk | Fight song: “Miami Fight Song”
Official color(s): Red and white
Notable alumni: Ben Roethlisberger, Benjamin Harrison, John Harbaugh, Katie Lee Biegel, Mike “The Miz” Mizanin
(11) SMU Mustangs
Dallas
Conference: ACC | Enrollment: 10,000+
Mascot: Peruna | Fight song: “Pony Battle Cry”
Official color(s): Red and blue
Notable alumni: Candice Patton, Kourtney Kardashian, Saundra Santiago, Raymond Berry, Bryson DeChambeau
(12) Akron Zips
Akron, Ohio
Conference: MAC | Enrollment: 10,000+
Mascot: Zippy | Fight song: “Akron Blue & Gold”
Official color(s): Blue and gold
Notable alumni: Yvette Nicole Brown, Jim Tressel, Keith Dambrot
(13) Hofstra Pride
Hempstead, New York
Conference: CAA | Enrollment: 10,000+
Mascot: Kate and Willie Pride | Fight song: “March on, Hofstra”
Official color(s): Blue, white and gold
Notable alumni: Speedy Claxton, Wayne Chrebet, James Caan, Rosemarie DeWitt, Francis Ford Coppola
(14) Wright State Raiders
Fairborn, Ohio
Conference: Horizon League | Enrollment: 10,000+
Mascot: Rowdy Raider | Fight song: “Fight Wright”
Official color(s): Green and gold
Notable alumni: Nicole Scherzinger, Brad Sherwood, Sean Murphy, Brian Anderson
(15) Tennessee State Tigers
Nashville
Conference: Ohio Valley Conference | Enrollment: Under 10,000
Mascot: Aristocat the Tiger | Fight song: “I’m so glad”
Official color(s): Blue and white
Notable alumni: Oprah Winfrey, Maurice White, Wilma Rudolph, Ed “Too Tall” Jones
(16) UMBC Retrievers
Catonsville, Maryland
Conference: America East | Enrollment: 10,000+
Mascot: True Grit | Fight song: “UMBC Fight Song”
Official color(s): Brown and white
Notable alumni: Kathleen Turner, Duff Goldman, Rabia Chaudry, Jairus Lyles
(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: Chadwick Boseman, Taraji P. Henson, Carla Hall, Toni Morrison, Thurgood Marshall
South region
(1) Florida Gators
Gainsville, Florida
Conference: SEC | Enrollment: 60,000+
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, Tim Tebow, Al Horford
(2) Houston Cougars
Houston
Conference: American | Enrollment: 40,000+
Mascot: Shasta | Fight song: “Cougar Fight song”
Official color(s): Scarlet and white
Notable alumni: Hakeem Olajuwon, Jim Parsons, Lil Wayne, Lizzo, Fred Couples
(3) Illinois Fighting Illini
Champaign, Illinois
Conference: Big Ten | Enrollment: 50,000+
Mascot: N/A | Fight song: “Oskee-Wow-Wow”
Official color(s): Orange and blue
Notable alumni: Nick Offerman, Arden Cho, Jesse Jackson, Dick Butkus, Tony Khan
(4) Nebraska Cornhuskers
Lincoln, Nebraska
Conference: Big Ten | Enrollment: 20,000+
Mascot: Herbie Husker | Fight song: “Hail Varsity”
Official color(s): Scarlet and cream
Notable alumni: Johnny Carson, Willa Cather, Warren Buffett, Shelley Smith, Scott Frost
(5) Vanderbilt Commodores
Nashville, Tennessee
Conference: SEC | Enrollment: 10,000+
Mascot: Mr. Commodore | Fight song: “Dynamite”
Official color(s): Black and gold
Notable alumni: Dierks Bentley, Buster Olney, David Price, Dinah Shore, James Patterson
(6) North Carolina Tar Heels
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Conference: ACC | Enrollment: 30,000+
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, Drake Maye, Brooke Baldwin
(7) Saint Mary’s Gaels
Moraga, California
Conference: West Coast | Enrollment: Under 5,000
Mascot: Gael Force One | Fight song: “On to Victory”
Official color(s): Navy, red and silver
Notable alumni: Tony Martin, Mahershala Ali, Corbin Burnes, Matthew Dellavedova
(8) Clemson Tigers
Clemson, South Carolina
Conference: ACC | Enrollment: 20,000+
Mascot: The Tiger | Fight song: “Tiger Rag”
Official color(s): Orange and regalia
Notable alumni: Nancy O’Dell, Rob Huebel, James Michael Tyler, Spencer Strider, Trevor Lawrence
(9) Iowa Hawkeyes
Iowa City, Iowa
Conference: Big Ten | Enrollment: 30,000+
Mascot: Herky the Hawk | Fight song: “Iowa Fight song”
Official color(s): Black and gold
Notable alumni: Tennessee Williams, Caitlin Clark, Gene Wilder, Tom Brokaw, Matt Bowen
(10) Texas A&M Aggies
College Station, Texas
Conference: SEC | Enrollment: 70,000+
Mascot: Reveille | Fight song: “Aggie War Hymn”
Official color(s): Maroon and white
Notable alumni: Lyle Lovett, Rick Perry, Myles Garrett, Granger Smith
(11) VCU Rams
Richmond, Virginia
Conference: Atlantic 10 | Enrollment: 20,000+
Mascot: Rodney the Ram | Fight song: “Ram Fight song”
Official color(s): Black and gold
Notable alumni: Patch Adams, David Baldacci, Matthew Ramsey
(12) McNeese Cowboys
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Conference: Southland | Enrollment: Under 10,000
Mascot: Rowdy | Fight song: “Joli Blon”
Official color(s): Blue and gold
Notable alumni: R.C. Slocum, Joe Dumars, Adam Johnson
(13) Troy Trojans
Troy, Alabama
Conference: Sun Belt | Enrollment: 10,000+
Mascot: T-Roy | Fight song: “Trojans, One and All”
Official color(s): Cardinal red, silver and black
Notable alumni: Melanie Newman, Lawrence Tynes, Windham “Bray Wyatt” Rotunda, Osi Umenyiora
(14) Pennsylvania Quakers
Philadelphia
Conference: Ivy | Enrollment: 20,000+
Mascot: The Quaker | Fight song: “Fight on Pennsylvania”
Official color(s): Red and blue
Notable alumni: Tory Burch, Dick Wolf, Check Bednarik, Elizabeth Banks, W. Kamau Bell
(15) Idaho Vandals
Moscow, Idaho
Conference: Big Sky | Enrollment: 10,000+
Mascot: Joe Vandal | Fight song: “Go, Vandals, Go”
Official color(s): Gold and silver
Notable alumni: Bill Fagerbakke, Otis Livingston, Kristin Armstrong, David Vobora
(16) Lehigh Mountain Hawks
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
Conference: Patriot | Enrollment: Under 10,000
Mascot: Clutch the Mountain Hawk | Fight song: “Lehigh Will Shine”
Official color(s): White and brown
Notable alumni: CJ McCollum, Cathy Engelbert
(16) Prairie View A&M Panthers
Prairie View, Texas
Conference: SWAC | Enrollment: 10,000+
Mascot: The Panther | Fight song: Cheers for Prairie View
Official color(s): Purple and gold
Notable alumni: Arthur Bryant, Clora Bryant, Ken Houston, Loni Love, Otis Taylor
West region
(1) Arizona Wildcats
Tucson, Arizona
Conference: Big 12 | Enrollment: 50,000+
Mascot: Wilbur and Wilma | Fight song: “Fight Wildcats, Fight!”
Official color(s): UA Red and Arizona Blue
Notable alumni: Richard Jefferson, Gilbert Arenas, Rob Gronkowski, Nicole Richie, Kenny Lofton
(2) Purdue Boilermakers
West Lafayette, Indiana
Conference: Big Ten | Enrollment: 50,000+
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
(3) Gonzaga Bulldogs
Spokane, Washington
Conference: West Coast Conference | Enrollment: Under 10,000
Mascot: Spike the Bulldog | Fight song: “Go Gonzaga”
Official color(s): Blue and white
Notable alumni: John Stockton, Bing Crosby, Jalen Suggs, Jason Bay, Courtney Vandersloot
(4) Arkansas Razorbacks
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Conference: SEC | Enrollment: 30,000+
Mascot: Tusk IV | Fight song: “Arkansas Fight”
Official color(s): Cardinal and white
Notable alumni: John Daly, Jerry Jones, Pat Summerall, Joe Johnson, Darren McFadden, Tyson Gay
(5) Wisconsin Badgers
Madison, Wisconsin
Conference: Big Ten | Enrollment: 50,000+
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
(5) BYU Cougars
Provo, Utah
Conference: Big 12 | Enrollment: 30,000+
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, Jimmer Fredette
(7) Miami Hurricanes
Coral Gables, Florida
Conference: ACC | Enrollment: 20,000+
Mascot: Sebastian the Ibis | Fight song: “Miami U How-Dee-Doo”
Official color(s): UM Orange and UM Green
Notable alumni: Dwayne Johnson, Alex Rodriguez, Gloria Estefan, Ray Lewis, Michael Irvin, Enrique Iglesias
(8) Villanova Wildcats
Villanova, Pennsylvania
Conference: Big East | Enrollment: 10,000+
Mascot: Will D. Cat | Fight song: “V for Villanova”
Official color(s): Blue and white
Notable alumni: Pope Leo XIV, Maria Bello, Jalen Brunson, Maddy Siegrist, Jill Biden
(9) Utah State Aggies
Logan, Utah
Conference: Mountain West | Enrollment: 20,000+
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
(10) Missouri Tigers
Columbia, Missouri
Conference: SEC | Enrollment: 30,000+
Mascot: Truman the Tiger | Fight song: “Every True Son and Fight”
Official color(s): MU gold and black
Notable alumni: Brad Pitt, Sheryl Crow, Max Scherzer, Carl Edwards, Chase Daniel, Tennessee Williams
(11) NC State Wolfpack
Raleigh, North Carolina
Conference: ACC | Enrollment: 30,000+
Mascot: Mr. and Mrs. Wuf | Fight song: “Red and white song”
Official color(s): Wolfpack red, white, and black
Notable alumni: Zach Galifianakis, Trea Turner, Philip Rivers, Debbie Antonelli, John Tesh
(11) Texas Longhorns
Austin, Texas
Conference: Big 12 | Enrollment: 50,000+
Mascot: Bevo | Fight song: “Texas Fight”
Official color(s): Burnt orange and white
Notable alumni: Matthew McConaughey, Vince Youn, Kevin Durant, Janis Joplin, Walter Cronkite
(12) High Point Panthers
High Point, North Carolina
Conference: Big South | Enrollment: Under 10,000
Mascot: Prowler the Panther | Fight song: “Fight Song”
Official color(s): Purple and white
Notable alumni: Austin Dillon, Donna Fargo, Gene Littles, Tubby Smith
(13) Hawai’i Rainbow Warriors
Honolulu, Hawaii
Conference: Big West | Enrollment: 20,000+
Mascot: Rainbow Warrior | Fight song: “Fight song”
Official color(s): Green, black, silver, and white
Notable alumni: Jason Elam, Kolten Wong, Larry Beil, Samson Satele
(14) Kennesaw State Owls
Kennesaw, Georgia
Conference: Atlantic Sun | Enrollment:
Mascot: Scrappy the Owl | Fight song: “KSU Fight song”
Official color(s): Black and gold
Notable alumni: Ty Pennington, Jasmine Burke, Willie Harris
(15) Queens University Royals
Charlotte
Conference: ASUN | Enrollment: Under 5,000
Mascot: Rex the Lion | Fight song: N/A
Official color(s): Blue and gold
Notable alumni: Chuck Wendig, Betsy Byars, Tanner Jacobson
(16) Long Island University Sharks
Brooklyn, New York
Conference: NEC | Enrollment: 10,000+
Mascot: Finley the Shark | Fight song: “Fight Song”
Official color(s): Light blue and gold
Notable alumni: Ossie Schectman, Amaya Espinal, Larry Doby
