March Madness Mascots Take Center Stage During Ncaa Men's And Women's Tournaments

Fans navigating the dozens of schools in the NCAA men's and women's basketball tournaments might become as attached to the mascots as the athletes themselves.

Furry, animated characters used as rallying points for teams with unique nicknames have been around for decades, and this year's March Madness will have some dandies.

Wearing the costumes of badgers and beavers, gators and griffins, horses and hornets, pilgrims and patriots, among others, here's a look at some of the participating schools and the stories behind their mascots and monikers:

St. Francis Red Flash

Tiny St. Francis University in Loretto, Pennsylvania, joined the list of two dozen men's teams ever to make the NCAA Tournament with a losing record, earning an automatic berth by winning the Northeast Conference tournament .