Mascot Madness Entry Form - 2025 NCAA Basketball Tournament
Welcome back to the 2025 Mascot Madness game! Releasing on St. Paddy's day in a tribute to Leprechauns and mascots everywhere.
Mascot Madness 2026: Group Preview and Picks
The field of 68 is divided into mascot groups. You pick two or three, root for every team in them, and see whose group has the most survivors when it counts. Seeds below are based on consensus bracketology projections as of February 22, 2026. Conference tournament auto-bids and bubble teams will be finalized on Selection Sunday, March 15.
*+number indicates number of bubble teams and play-in game candidates.
| Group | Teams | Best Seed |
|---|---|---|
| Mythology | 8+1 | 1 |
| Cats | 8+1 | 1 |
| Farmers | 7+3 | 2 |
| Humans | 7+2 | 2 |
| Mammals | 6+1 | 1 |
| Land and Sea | 4+3 | 3 |
| Dogs | 4+1 | 1 |
| Birds | 3+1 | 3 |
Dogs
| Team | Projected Seed |
|---|---|
| UConn Huskies | 1 |
| Gonzaga Bulldogs | 4 |
| N.C. State Wolfpack | 7 |
| Georgia Bulldogs | 9 |
| New Mexico Lobos | bubble |
UConn as a 1-seed has the system and depth to reach the Final Four from any region — Dan Hurley’s teams don’t have bad nights in March. Gonzaga’s second-weekend ceiling depends entirely on which frontcourt piece has taken over offensively; they have the program infrastructure to go deep but need a reliable scorer to emerge. N.C. State at 7 has the bracket position to pull off another improbable run.
Cats
| Team | Projected Seed |
|---|---|
| Arizona Wildcats | 1 |
| Houston Cougars | 2 |
| BYU Cougars | 6 |
| Kentucky Wildcats | 6 |
| Clemson Tigers | 6 |
| Villanova Wildcats | 7 |
| Auburn Tigers | 8 |
| Missouri Tigers | 11 |
| LSU Tigers | bubble |
Arizona’s guard play is good enough to carry them to the Elite Eight on its own, and Houston’s physical defense travels as well as any team in the country. The three 6-seeds are where this group makes its money — Kentucky has the frontcourt depth to grind anyone in the second round, BYU runs one of the more efficient half-court offenses in the sport, and Clemson has the athleticism to outrun teams that aren’t prepared for their pace.
Mammals
| Team | Projected Seed |
|---|---|
| Michigan Wolverines | 1 |
| Arkansas Razorbacks | 6 |
| Wisconsin Badgers | 9 |
| UCLA Bruins | 11 |
| California Golden Bears | 11 |
| Belmont Bruins | 12 |
| VCU Rams | bubble |
| Cincinnati Bearcats | bubble |
| Baylor Bears | bubble |
Michigan’s offense has been the most efficient in the country and their frontcourt gives them a size advantage in almost every bracket matchup. Arkansas at 6 is the second-weekend pick — their press and transition game can destabilize seeded teams before they settle in. Wisconsin will do what Wisconsin does: hold the ball, make every game 58-54, and somehow be in the Sweet 16.
Humans
| Team | Projected Seed |
|---|---|
| Illinois Fighting Illini | 2 |
| Purdue Boilermakers | 3 |
| Virginia Cavaliers | 4 |
| UCF Knights | 9 |
| Indiana Hoosiers | 10 |
| USC Trojans | 10 |
| Saint Mary’s Gaels | 10 |
| San Diego St. Aztecs | bubble |
Illinois has had one of the Big Ten’s most versatile offenses all season and the wing depth to compete into the Elite Eight. Purdue goes as far as their frontcourt takes them — if their bigs are scoring in the post, they’re an Elite Eight team; if not, they’re going home in round two. Virginia is a system team that wins 62-58 and will make the second weekend on half-court execution alone.
Land and Sea
| Team | Projected Seed |
|---|---|
| Florida Gators | 3 |
| Vanderbilt Commodores | 4 |
| Texas Tech Red Raiders | 5 |
| St. John’s Red Storm | 5 |
| TCU Horned Frogs | bubble |
| Seton Hall Pirates | bubble |
| Miami FL Hurricanes | bubble |
Florida runs through their backcourt — they have the perimeter shooting and athleticism to beat anyone in a Sweet 16 setting. Vanderbilt has been the SEC’s most underrated team and their guards are capable of carrying them past a higher seed. St. John’s at 5 brings RJ Luis Jr. and a Big East-tested offense that can score from anywhere on the floor.
Birds
| Team | Projected Seed |
|---|---|
| Kansas Jayhawks | 3 |
| Louisville Cardinals | 7 |
| Iowa Hawkeyes | 8 |
| Virginia Tech Hokies | bubble |
Kansas plays to its seed in March consistently — their half-court offense and guard depth make them a legitimate Elite Eight threat. Louisville under Pat Kelsey has built an efficient, versatile attack that can beat teams in multiple ways. Additional auto-bid birds (UT Martin Skyhawks, Miami Ohio Redhawks) expected after conference tournaments.
Farmers
| Team | Projected Seed |
|---|---|
| Nebraska Cornhuskers | 2 |
| Utah St. Aggies | 8 |
| Texas A&M Aggies | 8 |
| SMU Mustangs | 9 |
| Texas Longhorns | 10 |
| Santa Clara Broncos | 11 |
| McNeese Cowboys | projected auto-bid |
| Ohio St. Buckeyes | bubble |
| Oklahoma Sooners | bubble |
| West Virginia Mountaineers | bubble |
Nebraska at 2 has been the most efficient offense in the Big Ten outside of Illinois — their backcourt can carry a scoring load against elite competition. Utah State runs one of the Mountain West’s best offenses and can score efficiently off ball movement. SMU at 9 is this group’s sleeper pick — they have the guard play to beat a 1-seed if the matchup breaks right.
Mythology
| Team | Projected Seed |
|---|---|
| Duke Blue Devils | 1 |
| Iowa St. Cyclones | 2 |
| Michigan St. Spartans | 3 |
| Alabama Crimson Tide | 4 |
| Tennessee Volunteers | 5 |
| North Carolina Tar Heels | 5 |
| Saint Louis Billikens | 7 |
| Tulsa Golden Hurricane | 12 |
| Arizona St. Sun Devils | bubble |
Duke has the Boozer brothers and a reloaded wagon as the consensus favorite to win the national title. They score from all five positions. Iowa State’s methodical, physical offense ages well into the second weekend and T.J. Otzelberger has them as the most consistent program in the Big 12. Michigan State’s tournament experience is unmatched; Tom Izzo teams don’t lose early.
Entry form and picks posted after Selection Sunday, March 15.
-Hack Crowens
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