I recently published a ranking of every nickname in the entire sport of college football based on who would win in a fight. Now, if you're an FCS fan, that list of 673 schools from all four divisions might have been a little cumbersome to work through, so here is the streamlined post you've been waiting for.
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READ: College Football Mascot (Nickname) Rankings
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In the table below, you'll find the definitive ranking of every FCS nickname based on who would win in a fight.
First, some ground rules. All fights assume that both participants are facing each other and are prepared and ready for a scrap. Crucially, I'm ranking nicknames only here. That means I'm not giving James Madison a bulldog, they're the Dukes.
It also means that the Dukes don't have their royal guard and the Governors don't have whatever security they have in real life. Let's call it diet Secret Service. Every participant gets the items you'd reasonably expect them to have on them. Pirates get a pistol and sword, Lumberjacks get an axe, you get the idea.
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Finally, I made the determination that golden always means better than normal, with the exception of eagles because golden eagles are smaller than bald eagles.
So let's get to it! I know that you'll all have quibbles with this list, but you didn't put the work in, so I don't want to hear it! Just kidding, I'd love to entertain all of your disputes. Tweet them @befox21 or @HEROSportsFCS, whatever your heart desires.
Now, for the moment you've all been waiting for, let's get into some mascot fights!
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FCS Rank | Overall Rank | School | Nickname | Location |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 9 | Southern Utah | Thunderbirds | Cedar City, Utah |
2 | 10 | Elon | Phoenix | Elon, North Carolina |
3 | 14 | Central Connecticut | Blue Devils | New Britain, Connecticut |
4 | 15 | Mississippi Valley State | Delta Devils | Leflore County, Mississippi |
5 | 20 | Northwestern State | Demons | Natchitoches, Louisiana |
6 | 26 | Western Illinois | Leathernecks | Macomb, Illinois |
7 | 30 | Nicholls | Colonels | Thibodaux, Louisiana |
8 | 36 | Sam Houston State | Bearkats | Huntsville, Texas |
9 | 38 | Montana | Grizzlies | Missoula, Montana |
10 | 40 | Grambling State | Tigers | Grambling, Louisiana |
10 | 40 | Jackson State | Tigers | Jackson, Mississippi |
10 | 40 | Princeton | Tigers | Princeton, New Jersey |
10 | 40 | Savannah State | Tigers | Savannah, Georgia |
10 | 40 | Tennessee State | Tigers | Nashville, Tennessee |
10 | 40 | Texas Southern | Tigers | Houston, Texas |
10 | 40 | Towson | Tigers | Towson, Maryland |
11 | 41 | Brown | Bears | Providence, Rhode Island |
11 | 41 | Central Arkansas | Bears | Conway, Arkansas |
11 | 41 | Mercer | Bears | Macon, Georgia |
11 | 41 | Missouri State | Bears | Springfield, Missouri |
11 | 41 | Morgan State | Bears | Baltimore, Maryland |
11 | 41 | Northern Colorado | Bears | Greeley, Colorado |
12 | 43 | Idaho State | Bengals | Pocatello, Idaho |
13 | 46 | Norfolk State | Spartans | Norfolk, Virginia |
14 | 47 | Furman | Paladins | Greenville, South Carolina |
15 | 58 | Portland State | Vikings | Portland, Oregon |
16 | 59 | Idaho | Vandals | Moscow, Idaho |
17 | 61 | William & Mary | Tribe | Williamsburg, Virginia |
18 | 64 | Maine | Black Bears | Orono, Maine |
19 | 67 | Arkansas Pine Bluff | Golden Lions | Pine Bluff, Arkansas |
20 | 68 | Columbia | Lions | New York, New York |
20 | 68 | North Alabama | Lions | Florence, Alabama |
20 | 68 | Southeastern Louisiana | Lions | Hammond, Louisiana |
21 | 69 | Southern U | Jaguars | Baton Rouge, Louisiana |
22 | 70 | Lafayette | Leopards | Easton, Pennsylvania |
23 | 73 | Western Carolina | Catamounts | Cullowhee, North Carolina |
24 | 75 | Eastern Illinois | Panthers | Charleston, Illinois |
24 | 75 | Northern Iowa | Panthers | Cedar Falls, Iowa |
24 | 75 | Prairie View A&M | Panthers | Prairie View, Texas |
25 | 76 | Bucknell | Bison | Lewisburg, Pennsylvania |
25 | 76 | Howard | Bison | Washington, D.C. |
25 | 76 | North Dakota State | Bison | Fargo, North Dakota |
26 | 89 | Colgate | Raiders | Hamilton, New York |
27 | 93 | Hampton | Pirates | Hampton, Virginia |
28 | 94 | Charleston Southern | Buccaneers | North Charleston, South Carolina |
28 | 94 | East Tennessee State | Buccaneers | Johnson City, Tennessee |
29 | 97 | Alcorn State | Braves | Lorman, Mississippi |
30 | 107 | Holy Cross | Crusaders | Worcester, Massachusetts |
30 | 107 | Valparaiso | Crusaders | Valparaiso, Indiana |
31 | 108 | Robert Morris | Colonials | Moon Township, Pennsylvania |
32 | 113 | San Diego | Toreros | San Diego, California |
33 | 122 | VMI | Keydets | Lexington, Virginia |
34 | 124 | McNeese | Cowboys | Lake Charles, Louisiana |
35 | 128 | Northern Arizona | Lumberjacks | Flagstaff, Arizona |
35 | 128 | Stephen F. Austin | Lumberjacks | Nacogdoches, Texas |
36 | 134 | Sacred Heart | Pioneers | Fairfield, Connecticut |
37 | 143 | Stony Brook | Seawolves | Stony Brook, New York |
38 | 151 | North Carolina A&T | Aggies | Greensboro, North Carolina |
38 | 151 | UC Davis | Aggies | Davis, California |
39 | 161 | Cal Poly | Mustangs | San Luis Obispo, California |
40 | 165 | Dayton | Flyers | Dayton, Ohio |
41 | 166 | Murray State | Racers | Murray, Kentucky |
42 | 171 | Austin Peay | Governors | Clarksville, Tennessee |
43 | 176 | Duquesne | Dukes | Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania |
43 | 176 | James Madison | Dukes | Harrisonburg, Virginia |
44 | 184 | South Dakota | Coyotes | Vermillion, South Dakota |
45 | 197 | Montana State | Bobcats | Bozeman, Montana |
46 | 202 | Fordham | Rams | New York, New York |
46 | 202 | Rhode Island | Rams | Kingston, Rhode Island |
47 | 203 | Campbell | Fighting Camels | Buies Creek, North Carolina |
48 | 207 | Houston Baptist | Huskies | Houston, Texas |
49 | 208 | Florida A&M | Rattlers | Tallahassee, Florida |
30 | 211 | Albany | Great Danes | Albany, New York |
51 | 213 | Eastern Kentucky | Colonels | Richmond, Kentucky |
52 | 214 | Marist | Red Foxes | Poughkeepsie, New York |
53 | 217 | Southern Illinois | Salukis | Carbondale, Illinois |
54 | 219 | Abilene Christian | Wildcats | Abilene, Texas |
54 | 219 | Bethune-Cookman | Wildcats | Daytona Beach, Florida |
54 | 219 | Davidson | Wildcats | Davidson, North Carolina |
54 | 219 | New Hampshire | Wildcats | Durham, New Hampshire |
54 | 219 | Villanova | Wildcats | Villanova, Pennsylvania |
54 | 219 | Weber State | Wildcats | Ogden, Utah |
55 | 228 | Eastern Washington | Eagles | Cheney, Washington |
55 | 228 | Morehead State | Eagles | Morehead, Kentucky |
55 | 228 | North Carolina Central | Eagles | Durham, North Carolina |
56 | 229 | Tennessee Tech | Golden Eagles | Cookeville, Tennessee |
57 | 231 | Jacksonville | Dolphins | Jacksonville, Florida |
58 | 235 |