7 Weirdest Mascots Of The 2015 NCAA Tournament
While watching all of the March Madness games over the past few weeks, you may have caught a glimpse of a college's strange, dancing, fuzzy mascot and wondered to yourself, "what IS that thing???" At WCCO, we were wondering the same thing and decided to compile a list of the seven strangest, creepiest, and most confusing mascots in the 2015 NCAA Tournament.
7. University of California Irvine -- Peter the Anteater
You may think the anteater is a bizarre choice for a school's mascot, but it's a pretty original choice, as far as animals go. UC Irvine could have gone with another bulldog, ram, or bird, but their choice is something a bit more unique, and we have to give credit where credit's due.
6. Valparaiso University -- The Crusader
Just because there's nothing like a good, old-fashioned Holy War to inspire school spirit… Valpo's mascot may not have been that notable if it were named something more generic, like a "knight," but "crusader" certainly sounds a lot more interesting. Maybe this small-town Indiana college will one day find its Holy Grail in an NCAA championship, but not this year, unfortunately.
5. Purdue University -- Purdue Pete
With a team name like the "Boilermakers," it's probably inevitable that your mascot is going to end up looking like a member of the Village People. Still, it's good to see Purdue Pete sticking to his Rust Belt roots in Indiana.
4. Ohio State University -- Brutus Buckeye
When your college's team name is literally a nut, it's probably the easy way out to slap it on a body, emblazen it with the school's colors and call it a day. We may be more used to this one with Ohio State's pervasive reputation in college sports, but you have to admit that Brutus Buckeye is pretty weird.
3. Providence College -- Friar Dom
Is the Providence College mascot trying to rile up the crowd or inspire moral reflection? It must be pretty hard for the opposing team to be terrified of the "Friars," especially with Friar Dom's creepy smile and hollow expression, but at least he's making sure everyone's playing fairly. Believe it or not, this Catholic college's caricature dates back to 1929.
2. Wichita State University -- WuShock
It's hard to understand why a school might choose an anthropomorphized bundle of hay as its mascot, but WuShock is surprisingly a fan favorite at Wichita State. Sure, it matches up with the state's agricultural heritage, but couldn't they have chosen some kind of animal, at least? WuShock is a very weird mascot and would have taken the top spot if it were not for the next school's strange abomination.
1. Xavier University -- The Blue Blob
When your school's mascot is only a color and a vague shape, it's bound to end up on the top of a list like this one. For something that looks like its straight out of Sesame Street, he's quite popular among college kids at Xavier. Sure, the school's official mascot is D'Artagnan the Musketeer, but most Xavier students will tell you that the Blue Blob is the real crowd pleaser.
