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obscure team names

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Chanticleers

The chanticleer of Coastal Carolina is a rooster. Simple.

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Tar Heels

North Carolina - Derived from "Rosin Heel", it is believed to refer to social class differences.  

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Zips

Akrons team name derives from "Zippers", rubber overshoes manufacures by BF Goodrich in the early 1900's.

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Salukis

Southern Illinois maskot since 1951 is an Egyptian-bred dog which is the oldest of all domesticated dog breeds.

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Green Wave

​Tulane - the Green Wave origin is from a 1920's song "The Rolling Green Wave".

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Hoosier

Believed to be referring to, in Indiana - a rustic, a bumpkin, a countryman, a roughneck, a hick or an awkward, uncouth or unskilled fellow.

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Utes

Utah - The name honors the Native-American Ute tribe who gave the college  permisison to use the name.

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Mocs

Tennessee-Chattanooga - Named after the Moccasin Bend, a large horseshoe-shaped bend in the Tennessee River directly below Lookout Mountain.

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Hokies

​Virginia Tech morphed the original Gobblers (turkey) mascot into the slang "Hokiebird" over time.  

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Aggies

Texas A&M - Simply a slang term for students who attend colleges to study agriculture. 

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Volunteers

Tennessians became know as "Volunteers" following the number of them that volunteered in the War of 1812.

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Toreros

University of San Diego - A Torero is a bullfighter.

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