Tar Heel
Getty Images / Kevin C. Cox
A nickname for North Carolinans, "Tar Heel" dates back to the Civil War.
Jayhawk
Getty Images / Ronald Martinez
You won't find a jayhawk in any ornithology text... but "jayhawk" has been used as a name for several groups of Kansans over the years, including a Civil War cavalry regiment.
Hoosier
Getty Images / Jim McIsaac
"Hoosier" refers to a person from Indiana. Why? No one knows for sure...
Hoya
Getty Images / Kevin C. Cox
Hoya became the nickname for Georgetown's teams because, even back in the 19th century, college students didn't really have the hang of Latin.
Bearcat
Getty Images / Jim McIsaac
In zoology, "bearcat" usually refers to the binturong -- a jungle mammal native to Malaysia. But Cincinnati's athletic teams got their name from a World War I-era football player.
Nittany Lion
Andy Lyons, Getty Images
Billiken
Getty Images / Doug Pensinger
The teams at St. Louis are named for a good-luck charm that became popular in the early 1900s.
Saluki
Getty Images / Brian Bahr
The teams at Southern Illinois are named for an ancient breed of hunting dog.
Gael
Getty Images / Streeter Lecka
Think of "Gael" as a more exotic-sounding (or less offensive, depending on your perspective) version of "Fighting Irish".
