2024 March Madness Mascot Battle Royale: Stasha Reigns as the Greatest of Them All

You've filled out your March Madness bracket, perused the list of the biggest upset candidates and even checked out a few rankings posts. Now, it's time to find out which mascot is the toughest of them all.

Sportsbook Review conducted an exhaustive simulation to determine which mascot attached to the 64 actual March Madness participants is the best of the bunch. Would it be a Wildcat? Or maybe a tiger? Or perhaps a duck, or a frog, or a weather event?

It turns out, you can't defeat a large, fearsome cat – and you probably shouldn't try. Shasta, the Houston Cougars mascot, emerged as the champion of our 64-team free-for-all, earning a hard-fought win over Gonzaga fixture Spike the Bulldog in the final. Those two were joined in the Final Four by Arizona tandem Wilbur and Wilma Wildcat, and Jonathan the Husky from the University of Connecticut.

You could say it was "reigning cats and dogs" in the latter stages of our bracket – and you would be both correct and hilarious.

Care to see how the entire 63,000-simulation brouhaha unfolded? Grab a drink and a snack, and enjoy our breakdown of the 2024 March Madness mascot battle royale!

Methodology

Putting together a truly memorable 64-mascot winner-take-all tournament isn't simply about making judgment calls based on one person's opinion. You need a methodology! Here's ours:

• Once the field was finalized following the completion of the First Four games, we used a six-category scoring system to assess each mascot a score based on a variety of factors. They include:

1. Game Spirit and Enthusiasm (Maximum Score: 20): Assesses the mascot's ability to elevate team spirit and energize the crowd during NCAA basketball games.
2. Interactive Engagement (Maximum Score: 15): Evaluates how well the mascot engages with the audience, creating interactive and memorable experiences for fans.
3. Athleticism and Agility (Maximum Score: 15): Focuses on the physical abilities and dynamic movements of the mascot, showcasing agility and athleticism during performances.
4. School Spirit Representation (Maximum Score: 15): Assesses how effectively the mascot represents the school's spirit, values, and identity within the context of NCAA basketball.
5. Impactful Presence (Maximum Score: 15): Considers the overall impact and memorability of the mascot's presence, including visibility and recognition during games.
6. Underdog Charm (Maximum Score: 10): Recognizes the ability of the mascot to charm the audience despite potential challenges or limited resources, embodying the underdog spirit.

Total Possible Points: 90

And here's how each scoring category breaks down:

Game Spirit and Enthusiasm

• 20 Points: Mascots that bring unparalleled energy and enthusiasm to NCAA basketball games, elevating team spirit and creating an electrifying atmosphere.
• 15-19 Points: Mascots with high levels of game spirit and enthusiasm, contributing significantly to the energy of the crowd and team.
• 10-14 Points: Mascots that display moderate game spirit and enthusiasm, adding energy to games but potentially not reaching the same level as top performers.
• 5-9 Points: Mascots with limited game spirit and enthusiasm, contributing minimally to the overall excitement during NCAA basketball events.
• 1-4 Points: Mascots that struggle to generate game spirit and enthusiasm, potentially having a minimal impact on the energy of the crowd.

Interactive Engagement

• 15 Points: Mascots that excel in creating interactive and memorable experiences, engaging effectively with the audience and leaving a lasting impression.
• 10-14 Points: Mascots that engage well with the audience, creating enjoyable and interactive moments during performances.
• 5-9 Points: Mascots with limited interactive engagement, potentially lacking creativity or failing to capture the audience's attention effectively.
• 1-4 Points: Mascots that struggle to engage with the audience, contributing minimally to the overall interactive experience during events.

Athleticism and Agility

• 15 Points: Mascots that showcase exceptional physical abilities, agility, and dynamic movements, contributing significantly to the visual appeal of their performances.
• 10-14 Points: Mascots that display moderate athleticism and agility, showcasing physical prowess during performances.
• 5-9 Points: Mascots with limited athleticism and agility, potentially lacking dynamic movements or failing to impress with physical abilities.
• 1-4 Points: Mascots that struggle to demonstrate athleticism and agility, contributing minimally to the visual appeal of their performances.

School Spirit Representation

• 15 Points: Mascots that effectively represent the school's spirit, values, and identity, becoming a symbolic embodiment of the institution.
• 10-14 Points: Mascots that contribute positively to school spirit representation, embodying the school's character with pride.
• 5-9 Points: Mascots with limited impact on school spirit representation, potentially not fully reflecting the values or identity of the institution.
• 1-4 Points: Mascots that struggle to represent the school's spirit effectively, contributing minimally to the overall sense of identity.

Impactful Presence

• 15 Points: Mascots that have a profound and memorable presence, contributing significantly to the team's identity and leaving a lasting impression.
• 10-14 Points: Mascots with a strong and impactful presence, adding to the overall identity of the team and capturing attention effectively.
• 5-9 Points: Mascots with a moderate presence, potentially lacking distinctiveness or failing to leave a strong impression on the audience.
• 1-4 Points: Mascots that struggle to create an impactful presence, contributing minimally to the team's identity and recognition.

Underdog Charm

• 10 Points: Mascots that excel in embodying the underdog spirit, charming the audience with unique and endearing qualities, even in the face of challenges or limited resources.
• 5-9 Points: Mascots that display some underdog charm but may not fully capture the audience's affection or face challenges in creating a distinct and memorable presence.
• 1-4 Points: Mascots that struggle to convey underdog charm, potentially lacking endearing qualities or failing to make a significant impact despite challenges.

Rating, Attributes and Randomness

Once we had overall scores for all 64 mascots, it was time to pit them against one another – and to make things interesting, we added a random "performance factor".

The performance factor is a variable introduced to simulate the inherent variability in a mascot's actual performance, much like the unpredictability seen in real sports. It is represented by a random number between 0 and 2, where 1 signifies an average performance.

Teams with higher total scores are more likely to have favorable performance factors, increasing their chances of outperforming opponents. However, the performance factor introduces an element of uncertainty, acknowledging that even higher-scoring teams may not always guarantee victory due to the dynamic nature of mascot performances.

Finally, each matchup was simulated 1,000 times in order to maximize normalization, giving us a whopping 63,000 simulations in total.

Battle Royale Tournament Field

Now that the scoring has been explained, let's take a look at our combatants! Here's a complete list of the 64 mascots taking part in this one-of-a-kind fur-laden fracas:

West Region

South Region

East Region

Midwest Region

With the field set, it's time to rumble! Here's a look at how our March Madness mascot battle royale played out:

First Round

West Region

• (1) Rameses def. (16) Seahawk
• (9) Sparty def. (8) Bully
• (5) Gael def. (12) Thunder
• (4) Big Al def. (13) Clyde the Cougar
• (11) Lobo Louie def. (6) The Tiger
• (3) Bruiser and Marigold def. (14) Raider
• (7) Rudy Flyer def. (10) Alphie, Wolfie Jr. and Luna
• (2) Wilbur and Wilma Wildcat def. (15) Elbee

South Region

• (1) Shasta def. (16) Elwood
• (8) Herbie Husker def. Reveille
• (5) Bucky Badger def. (12) Duke Dog
• (4) The Blue Devil def. (13) Rally Catamount
• (6) The Masked Rider def. (11) Mr. and Ms. Wuf
• (3) Wildcat def. (14) Pioneer Pete
• (10) Ralphie the Buffalo def. (7) The Gator
• (2) Golden Eagle def. (15) Big Red

East Region

• (1) Jonathan the Husky def. (16) John B.
• (8) Owlsley def. (9) Willie the Wildcat
• (5) Spirit Leader def. (12) Blaze
• (4) Aubie the Tiger def. (13) Handsome Dan
• (6) Cosmo the Cougar def. (11) Duke
• (3) Illini def. (14) Beaker
• (7) Butch T. Cougar def. (10) Spike
• (2) Cy the Cardinal def. (15) Jack Rabbit

Midwest Region

• (1) Purdue Pete def. (16) Grambling Tiger
• (8) Big Blue def. (9) Super Frog
• (5) Spike def. (12) Rowdy
• (4) Big Jay and Baby Jay def. (13) Spike the Bulldog
• (6) Cocky def. (11) The Oregon Duck
• (3) Billy Bluejay def. (14) Zippy
• (7) Hook 'Em def. (10) CAM the Ram
• (2) Smokey def. (15) Peacock

We had a couple of surprises on the left side of our mascot bracket, with Lobo Louie pulling out a stunning upset of Clemson's beloved panthera tigris. The other first-round upset saw South Region No. 10 seed Ralphie the Buffalo (whose Wikipedia page smartly clarifies that he is, in fact, an American bison) ramming the No. 7 Florida Gator out of the competition.

On the other side of the bracket ... well, you know those people in your office who only pick the higher seeds to win? They would have had a field day with this one. All 16 higher seeds prevailed in the East and Midwest Regions, sending plucky underdogs like Handsome Dan, Beaker, Zippy and the Grambling Tiger packing.

Second Round

West Region

• (1) Rameses def. (9) Sparty
• (4) Big Al def. (5) Gael
• (3) Bruiser and Marigold def. (11) Lobo Louie
• (2) Wilbur and Wilma Wildcat def. (7) Rudy Flyer

South Region

• (1) Shasta def. (8) Herbie Husker
• (4) The Blue Devil def. (5) Bucky Badger
• (6) The Masked Rider def. (3) Wildcat
• (2) Golden Eagle def. (10) Ralphie the Buffalo

East Region

• (1) Jonathan the Husky def. (8) Owlsley
• (4) Aubie the Tiger def. (5) Spirit Leader
• (6) Cosmo the Cougar def. (3) Illini
• (2) Cy the Cardinal def. (7) Butch T. Cougar

Midwest Region

• (1) Purdue Pete def. (8) Big Blue
• (5) Spike def. (4) Big Jay and Baby Jay
• (3) Billy Bluejay def. (6) Cocky
• (2) Smokey def. (7) Hook 'Em

Granted, our second round was almost as chalky as the first, but we do have a few surprises. Among them: The Masked Rider, Texas Tech's horseback hero who reached the Sweet 16 with an upset victory over Kentucky's aptly-named Wildcat. And Cosmo the Cougar equaled that feat in the East Region, getting past Illini in a closely-fought affair.

Unfortunately, that's about it for the underdog stories. All eight of the tournament's No. 1 and No. 2 seeds advanced, which shouldn't really surprise any of us. Even with random variance in play, these mascots are the complete package. It would take an incredible effort for any of the other seeds to reach the Final Four. Right? (Sorry, no spoilers.)

Sweet 16

West Region

• (1) Rameses def. (4) Big Al
• (2) Wilbur and Wilma Wildcat def. (3) Bruiser and Marigold

South Region

• (1) Shasta def. (4) The Blue Devil
• (2) Golden Eagle def. (6) The Masked Rider

East Region

• (1) Jonathan the Husky def. (4) Aubie the Tiger
• (6) Cosmo the Cougar (2) Cy the Cardinal

Midwest Region

• (5) Spike def. (1) Purdue Pete
• (2) Smokey def. (3) Billy Bluejay

You probably weren't expecting to see a tag-team match in this frenetic free-for-all – but there it is, deciding which mascot pairing would face all-powerful Rameses in the West Region final. And it was the tandem of Wilbur and Wilma Wildcat dropping the patented double elbow on Bruiser and Marigold, setting up a 1-vs.-2 final.

On the other side, Cosmo lives! BYU's feline soubriquet completed an unlikely trip to the Elite Eight by vanquishing Cy the Cardinal, an odd choice of mascot for a school nicknamed the Cyclones (but we won't get into that here.) Unfortunately, that only serves to set up a brutal Elite 8 tilt with Jonathan the Husky, who has crushed his opponents to this point.

Elite Eight

West Region

• (2) Wilbur and Wilma Wildcat def. (1) Rameses

South Region

• (1) Shasta def. (2) Golden Eagle

East Region

• (1) Jonathan the Husky def. (6) Cosmo the Cougar

Midwest Region

• (5) Spike def. (2) Smokey

The Final Four is set – and it's a real doozy. (Side note: Should this actually be a Final Five, or do we just consider Wilbur and Wilma Wildcat a package deal? Email your thoughts to jbisson@nssmp.com!)

Shasta and Jonathan the Husky did as expected to set up a potentially explosive title bout, while the W and W Express are joined by upstart Spike the Bulldog, which knocked off the top two seeds in the Midwest Region in consecutive battles to be the lowest seed in the Final Five Four.

Final Four Mascot Profiles

West Region Winner: Wilbur and Wilma Wildcat, Arizona Wildcats

• First appearance: 1986
• Description: Anthropomorphic North American wildcats
• Married: 1986
• Re-Married: 2006 (here's proof)
• Fun Fact: According to a 2017 feature in the Daily Wildcat, the identities of the students who portray the beloved mascots are kept secret until after the final basketball game of each season.

South Region Winner: Shasta, Houston Cougars

• First appearance: 1947
• Description: Live/anthropomorphic cougar
• Number of live Shasta cougars in school history: 7
• Shasta VII's reign: 2022-present
• Fun Fact: The costumed version of Shasta engaged in an actual fight with the mascot of the Oregon Ducks during the 2007 season-opening football game between the schools.

East Region Winner: Jonathan the Husky, UConn Huskies

• First appearance: 1934
• Description: Live husky
• Number of live huskies in school history: 15
• Good boys?: Definitely
• Fun Fact: In 2010, to honor one of the state's most beloved symbols, Jonathan's image was made into a corn maze at Lyman Orchards farm in Middleton, Conn.

Midwest Region Winner: Spike, Gonzaga Bulldogs

• First appearance: 1985
• Description: Anthropomorphic bulldog
• Hobbies: Dancing, dunking, waving, mugging for photos
• Potty Trained: We believe so
• Fun Fact: Dan Futrell, who played Spike in the 2000s, served two tours in Iraq and went on to become the CEO of the Pat Tillman foundation.

Final Four Results

(1) Shasta def. (2) Wilbur and Wilma Wildcat

It's a lot harder to stomach seeing any of these mascots fall short after learning a little more about them – but that's the nature of single-elimination tournaments. And unfortunately for our Wildcat tandem, it's time to head home.

Let's ignore for a moment the fact that Shasta is an actual live cougar (and if we learned anything from Talladega Nights, it's to never trust a live cougar). Shasta is regarded as one of the most well-rounded mascots in collegiate sports, and having both a human and animal version certainly doesn't hurt in that regard.

Thankfully for Mr. and Mrs. Wildcat, they're destined to enjoy each other's company for many more decades to come. And there's no shame at all in losing this late in the competition.

(5) Spike def. (1) Jonathan the Husky

This dog-vs.-dog tete-a-tete really comes down to backstory.

Nothing against the history of Jonathan the Husky, but Spike's origin story is the stuff of legend – and it helps that Spike has been a central figure in Gonzaga's emergence as a collegiate basketball icon for the better part of the last 20 years.

There is precious little separating these two wonderful mascots, but the intangibles really push Spike to the lead in this one. And the ability to dunk a basketball – something that Jonathan could probably do, but not easily – gives Spike the ultimate edge here.

Mascot Battle Royale Championship

(1) Shasta def. (5) Spike

Get that cougar a belt!

That's five words we never thought we'd string together in the same sentence, but also a fitting end to a spirited mascot battle royale. Give Spike full credit for his pluckiness in advancing all the way to the finals – and beating some impressive foes on the way – but Shasta is clearly the Mascot of Destiny in 2024.

As one of the most revered and renowned mascots in the U.S., Shasta has a special place in the hearts of countless Houston alums, Big 12 supporters, and college basketball fans in general. And while it's only been a few paragraphs since we mentioned this, Shasta is an actual, real-life, full-sized cougar. Even on his best day, Spike is finished. 

Add in the fun wrinkle of the Cougars' human mascot throwing hands will a fellow costumed human once upon a time, and you've got an unbeatable 1-2 punch – and a worthy winner of this tournament.