Each state's university nickname

[seattlefan68]

I don't understand why you penalize names both for being generic and for being too unique. What should the Cornhuskers or Golden Gophers be instead? Why does Ducks get an F? Ducks are native to the state of Oregon...

[HatManTC]

Ohio State Buckeyes: D-minus. It represents Ohio, but Buckeyes??? A nut???

do you realize the story of the BUCKEYE nut? how its suppose to bring you good luck if you carry one in your pocket. Many people from Ohio carry them, look at Urban Myer, who is from ohio and carries one during most games.

[Ben5]

Ohio State Buckeyes: D-minus. It represents Ohio, but Buckeyes??? A nut???

do you realize the story of the BUCKEYE nut? how its suppose to bring you good luck if you carry one in your pocket. Many people from Ohio carry them, look at Urban Myer, who is from ohio and carries one during most games.

This make perfect sense. Ohio State lost because one guy on the sidelines for Florida had a buckeye. Who cares if the other team is named Buckeyes!

[leedsunited]

winghaz: No :censored:ing clue what he's talking about; F.

You= smart.

In addition, you have the wrong university for Alaska and Louisiana

Alaska-Anchorage is the flagship school of the University of Alaska system

...and I graduated from the University of Louisiana.

Free crawdads with every diploma!

[koizim]

I always thought the team was the Louisiana State team was the Bayou Bengals...

[Fred T. Jane]

I always thought the team was the Louisiana State team was the Bayou Bengals...

The Ag School in Baton Rouge's mascot is the Tigers.

...and this is why this thread fails: Not every school he uses is the University of <Insert State Here>. Heck, in some cases it isn't even the flagship school. Here in Louisiana, the Flagship school is the Agricultural Institute of Baton Rouge that is located South of I-10, but the "University of <Insert State Here>" system is the university of Louisiana system, headed by the University of Louisiana-Lafayette (prevented from being called the "University of Louisiana" by a vote of the Louisiana Legislature, falling along LSU-alum/non LSU-alum lines... ).

[doafhat]

So, what is the rationale of giving names like Hoosiers and Hawkeyes Cs, but Sooners A+? I see no difference in terms of the fact that the meaning of the name might not be known.

The term "Sooner" goes back to the Oklahoma land runs. Those that participated in the runs were called "Boomers" while those that illegally entered the territory to stake their claims before the runs started were called "Sooners." Overall, I think it's a pretty fitting nickname for a university that's best identified by a football program wrought with NCAA infractions through the years and widely accused of cheating (and who may be facing the wrath of the NCAA again).

[Cola]

To my Palmetto state brother- Wildcat is the most common nickname in high school and college sports.

TO the original poster- it would be much more inclusive and fun to go state by state rather then pick what you consider to be the top school in each state. I say this because as a BGSU fan I can say there are 6 other D1-A schools in the state of Ohio other than the Evil Empire.

Are you positive about that or can provide a source? The database site I have says Eagles is the most used and I looked at the pages and I'd say it's pretty accurate. There were lots of Wildcats but Bears had the same or more...along with Bulldogs, Knights, and Hawks.

[Fred T. Jane]

The term "Sooner" goes back to the Oklahoma land runs. Those that participated in the runs were called "Boomers" while those that illegally entered the territory to stake their claims before the runs started were called "Sooners." Overall, I think it's a pretty fitting nickname for a university that's best identified by a football program wrought with NCAA infractions through the years and widely accused of cheating (and who may be facing the wrath of the NCAA again).

Even better, during the "Mike the Tiger's Home is not Good Enough!" fiasco last year, a local paper did an informal statewide survey of where people thought Mike the Tiger lived. Most thought that he lived at the Truck Stop in Grosse Tete, west of Baton Rouge, not the facility on campus.

[HatManTC]

Ohio State Buckeyes: D-minus. It represents Ohio, but Buckeyes??? A nut???

do you realize the story of the BUCKEYE nut? how its suppose to bring you good luck if you carry one in your pocket. Many people from Ohio carry them, look at Urban Myer, who is from ohio and carries one during most games.

This make perfect sense. Ohio State lost because one guy on the sidelines for Florida had a buckeye. Who cares if the other team is named Buckeyes!

i was just pointing out people who are from OHIO, like URBAN MYER, still to this day carry them on their person.

[winghaz]

For those wondering why I missed with the state universities (as in Florida State and Oregon State), I'll try that some other time. Many of the state universities have better nicknames than the universities. There may be higher marks that time. Stay tuned.

[buckeyes1]

Ohio State gets an A+. Such a great name.

[Fred T. Jane]

i was just pointing out people who are from OHIO, like URBAN MYER, still to this day carry them on their person.

That's Urban MEyer, National Champion Coach for the Ages, Emperor of the Universe, and All-around Nice Guy.

[footballfiji]

This thread needs to be graveyarded fast.

A couple of reasons:

1.

I decided to rate the different nicknames for each state's main university.

Alabama is not Alabama's main university. Auburn has a larger enrollment (and even then Troy beats Auburn when it comes to total system enrollment) and would be considered a traditional "State school". The same can can be said about LSU and Louisiana and probably half the schools on this list. Just because a school is more familiar to you doesn't mean its the state's main university.

2. This is a sports logos forum. You've just judged teams based on their nicknames not on their logos.

3. In all honesty you are talking out your ass and have no clue what you are talking about. Here's some of my favorite gems:

The schools you dismiss as "too generic". Like Rutgers (there is one school with the nickname Scarlet Knights, that doesn't seem very generic) or Nevada (only two schools in Division 1 have the Wolfpack nickname).

I'm going to have to call you out on a couple of these:

California Bears: A. The bear has always been associated with California.

That might be but California uses a bear mascot because of its State Flag. Not because of the animal. I've never heard Bear and immediately thought "California"

Delaware Blue Hens: D. Awful name that would be an F if it wasn't associated with Delaware.

I'm gonna refer you here: Why the Blue Hens

Maybe if you knew a little bit about the school, the state, and its history you'd rethink that.

Indiana Hoosiers: C. Very representative of the state, but what's a Hoosier?

How can something be very representative of the state and you don't know what it is.

Louisiana State Tigers: D. Too generic and not representative of the state.

Here: A Civil War Reason

Michigan Wolverines: A-minus. Powerful nickname and it's the Wolverine state

Have you ever seen a wolverine in Michigan? Not in about 200 years you haven't.

North Dakota Fighting Sioux: A-minus. Great name, but I can think of even better tribes from North Dakota that are more worthy, such as the Mandans, the Arikara and the Hidatsa. If you're not PC, that is.

You are aware that Dakota and Sioux are one and the same.

Oklahoma Sooners: A-plus. Fantastic name for Oklahoma.

It's so cool to name your school after a group of people who cheated the system.

and this was the clencher:

Wyoming Cowboys: A-plus. Powerful nickname and very representative of the state. So much so that there's a cowboy on the state's licene plate -- the same logo that adorns the university's football helmets.

Here: The Horse So the reason isn't because there are a ton of Cowboys in Wyoming.

[LMU]

So, what is the rationale of giving names like Hoosiers and Hawkeyes Cs, but Sooners A+? I see no difference in terms of the fact that the meaning of the name might not be known.

The term "Sooner" goes back to the Oklahoma land runs. Those that participated in the runs were called "Boomers" while those that illegally entered the territory to stake their claims before the runs started were called "Sooners." Overall, I think it's a pretty fitting nickname for a university that's best identified by a football program wrought with NCAA infractions through the years and widely accused of cheating (and who may be facing the wrath of the NCAA again).

Thanks for the explanation. I already knew that... just stating the point that he listed several nicknames that he didn't know the nickname of, yet gave Cs to some and A+s to others.

[BamaHater]

Louisiana State Tigers: D. Too generic and not representative of the state.

If you did reasearch before you did the ranking you'd find this.

The school colors are purple and gold. LSU's nickname is a throwback to its Confederate heritage and was drawn from the Civil War fame of two Louisiana brigades who fought so fiercely that they became known as the "Louisiana Tigers."

Three elements of the 256th Infantry Brigade: the 156th Infantry Regiment; the 108th Cavalry Regiment; and the 141st Artillery Battalion, The Washington Artillery of New Orleans, trace their history all the way back to the American Civil War where they fought mainly in the eastern theater under Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. In September, 1838, the Washington Artillery of New Orleans was founded - it's emblem was an irate tiger over crossed cannons, with the motto "Try Us" created by James B. Walton in 1846. During the Civil War, most units were refered to as Lee's Tigers or Louisiana Tigers which became the mascot for the Louisiana State University (Louisiana State University), also known as the "Old War Skule".

Fighting Tigers

256th Infantry Brigade

[winghaz]

North Dakota Fighting Sioux: A-minus. Great name, but I can think of even better tribes from North Dakota that are more worthy, such as the Mandans, the Arikara and the Hidatsa. If you're not PC, that is.

You are aware that Dakota and Sioux are one and the same.

Hello. I live in North Dakota, and have lived in North Dakota all my nearly 51 years. Of course I'm aware of that.

I'm also aware that North Dakota was once called the Sioux State. Still is in some circles.

I said the Sioux have a great name. A-minus may not be an A-plus, but it's a pretty good grade. I didn't give it as high a grade because the Sioux were not indiginous to North Dakota while the Mandans, Arikara and Hidatsa were.

[harperdc]

Oregon Ducks: F. Ducks???

yes. before that NHL team in the outskirts of LA, we were the only major-level (pro or D1 college) team to use the nickname "Ducks"; it fits the area because Ducks are native to the area, and thrive in the (plentiful) water; and being unique fits the unique personality of the Willamette Valley.

I think we get an A for uniqueness, but that's just me.

like footballfiji said, you're arbitrarily picking schools and arbitrarily rating without knowing complete history. this all screams arbitrary.

[iowahoo]

To my Palmetto state brother- Wildcat is the most common nickname in high school and college sports.

TO the original poster- it would be much more inclusive and fun to go state by state rather then pick what you consider to be the top school in each state. I say this because as a BGSU fan I can say there are 6 other D1-A schools in the state of Ohio other than the Evil Empire.

Are you positive about that or can provide a source? The database site I have says Eagles is the most used and I looked at the pages and I'd say it's pretty accurate. There were lots of Wildcats but Bears had the same or more...along with Bulldogs, Knights, and Hawks.

My basis is fairly weak, but here goes. When I would get sick from school I would read my Information Please Sports Almanac (now the ESPN Sports Almanac, they bought the rights) all day. I remember counting and tallying all the Division 1A football and Division 1 basketball schools and it was Wildcats which was most common. Now, I have reason to update my tallies since I haven't had a sick day in some 15 years. . .

[Cola]

i was just pointing out people who are from OHIO, like URBAN MYER, still to this day carry them on their person.

That's Urban MEyer, National Champion Coach for the Ages, Emperor of the Universe, and All-around Nice Guy.

Urban Myer is a prick. Let's be honest here...all other things aside.