Michigan State is playing in the NCAA tournament. But how does their mascot stack up?
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.
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.
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.
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 jawilliams1@freepress.com.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Sports Illustrated says Sparty is among the top mascots in the 2025 NCAA tournament
Topics
-
Akron's Zippy dethroned by another Ohio college mascot in Sports Illustrated ranking
Zippy was knocked off her throne as the best mascot in the NCAA Tournament in rankings by Sports Illustrated.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
How does Louisville basketball stack up vs Duke in ACC Tournament championship?
How do Louisville and Duke stack up in the ACC Tournament championship? Both teams have changed a lot since they last met back in December.Yahoo Sports - 6d -
Here's how Cincinnati Bearcats basketball stacks up vs. Crown, NCAA tourney teams
Where does Cincinnati Bearcats basketball stack up analytically with other teams in the Crown tourney and NCAA teams?Yahoo Sports - 1d -
Ranking MLB's top 100 players in 2025: Shohei Ohtani is No. 1, but how do baseball's other stars stack up?
Who will be the best players in the upcoming season? Let's rank the top 100 before Opening DayCBS Sports - 2d -
Sports Illustrated: Xavier's mascots are best of all the March Madness 2025 teams
March Madness isn't just about highlighting the best NCAA Division I Men's Basketball teams. It's also about the mascots.Yahoo Sports - 1d -
How Stack Up is still saving lives of veterans through gaming after a decade
Stephen Machuga, CEO of charity Stack Up, believes video games can help veterans feel like they're part of society.VentureBeat - 4d -
Grading DK Metcalf to Steelers, Davante Adams to Rams, other splashy NFL signings, trades from Sunday
How do the notable moves stack up?CBS Sports - Mar. 10 -
Ranking all 68 of the 2025 men's March Madness teams by mascot
Ranking all 68 NCAA tournament teams by mascot and team name as we get set for 2025 March Madness.Yahoo Sports - 3d -
College basketball rankings: How Michigan State can make its case for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament
The Spartans would need help, but an opportunity to move up to the top line is not out of reachCBS Sports - Mar. 10
More from Yahoo Sports
-
F1 Chinese GP LIVE: Sprint qualifying updates and times as Lando Norris eyes pole
Follow latest updates from the Shanghai International Circuit ahead of the first sprint race of the seasonYahoo Sports - 50m -
Arsenal complicate Barcelona’s plans by making key target a summer priority – report
A new transfer battle is brewing ahead of the summer window, as Arsenal have entered the race for Liverpool’s Luis Diaz, a player who has also been identified as a priority target for Barcelona. Ac...Yahoo Sports - 1h -
The numbers that suggest Manchester United Women have been overperforming
“It’s a strange one, really strange,” said Marc Skinner after Manchester United’s 3-1 defeat against Liverpool last week. For large parts of the first half, United dominated possession, were in ...Yahoo Sports - 1h -
Italy boss Luciano Spalletti on Arsenal’s Riccardo Calafiori: “His knee feels strange”
Arsenal could be dealt with an injury blow before the restart of the season, as Riccardo Calafiori seems to have picked up a knee problem.The defender had started for Italy against Germany ...Yahoo Sports - 1h -
Emma Raducanu vs Emma Navarro start time and how to watch Miami Open match
Raducanu enjoyed a comfortable victory in the first round but now faces the eighth seed in MiamiYahoo Sports - 1h
More in Sports
-
F1 Chinese GP LIVE: Sprint qualifying updates and times as Lando Norris eyes pole
Follow latest updates from the Shanghai International Circuit ahead of the first sprint race of the seasonYahoo Sports - 50m -
Arsenal complicate Barcelona’s plans by making key target a summer priority – report
A new transfer battle is brewing ahead of the summer window, as Arsenal have entered the race for Liverpool’s Luis Diaz, a player who has also been identified as a priority target for Barcelona. Ac...Yahoo Sports - 1h -
The numbers that suggest Manchester United Women have been overperforming
“It’s a strange one, really strange,” said Marc Skinner after Manchester United’s 3-1 defeat against Liverpool last week. For large parts of the first half, United dominated possession, were in ...Yahoo Sports - 1h -
Italy boss Luciano Spalletti on Arsenal’s Riccardo Calafiori: “His knee feels strange”
Arsenal could be dealt with an injury blow before the restart of the season, as Riccardo Calafiori seems to have picked up a knee problem.The defender had started for Italy against Germany ...Yahoo Sports - 1h -
Emma Raducanu vs Emma Navarro start time and how to watch Miami Open match
Raducanu enjoyed a comfortable victory in the first round but now faces the eighth seed in MiamiYahoo Sports - 1h