How did a Blue Devil come to represent a school in the Bible Belt? Why does Oregon's mascot look so much like a Disney character? And what's up with that Stanford Tree? These answers, and more, are revealed in our look at the mascots of Division I college basketball.
Pac 10 Mascots
Getty Images / Doug Benc
The mascots of the Pac 10 honor local history, natural resources, Disney characters... and the disturbing creativity of the Stanford band.
ACC Mascots
Getty Images / Kevin C. Cox
The mascots of the ACC have some unexpected background stories... NC State and Virginia Tech's come from unflattering remarks made about their student bodies, Bible Belt schools Duke and Wake Forest feature fire and brimstone, and FSU's Chief Osceola has the full backing of the Seminole Nation.
Big 12 Mascots
Getty Images / Ronald Martinez
The 2008 National Championship gives the Kansas Jayhawk bragging rights over all the other mascots.
Big East Mascots
Getty Images / Jim McIsaac
From Otto the Orange and Jonathan the Husky to the unlamented "Thunder," the short-lived horse mascot that briefly worked the sidelines at Madison Square Garden.
