Sach ChandanMar 16, 2026, 05:58 PM ETMultiple Authors
(13) California Baptist Lancers Riverside, California
(6) North Carolina Tar Heels Chapel Hill, North Carolina
(12) High Point Panthers High Point, North Carolina
(16) Long Island University Sharks Brooklyn, New York
If you’ve never filled out a college basketball bracket, it can all seem quite intimidating. How many teams? How many games?
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
More: Bracket facts | How to play ESPN Tournament Challenge
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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