Wood Badge Goes to College: Schools with critters for their nicknames

Nobody understands what it’s like to be a Beaver, Bobwhite, Eagle, Fox, Owl, Bear, Buffalo or Antelope unless they “used to be” one.

In that sense, Wood Badge patrol spirit is a lot like school spirit. You can’t explain college fandom; it’s just something you are.

So today, I thought we’d have a little fun with those Wood Badge patrol names and look at universities with Wood Badge critters for their nicknames.

Be sure to leave your critter shoutouts in the comments section. And if anyone went to a school with a critter nickname who also was that critter in Wood Badge … wow! I want to hear from you!

I call it: Wood Badge Goes to College! 

Beavers

Most famous: Oregon State University

Others: Babson College (Mass.), Bemidji State University (Minn.), Bluffton University (Ohio), Buena Vista University (Iowa)

Notes: Yes, beavers are found in Iowa (and not just at Buena Vista University).

They’ve been responsible for damming up some Iowa rivers in recent years.

Bobwhites

Most famous: I couldn’t find any colleges with Bobwhites as their nickname.

Others: Murray State University in Kentucky has White College, named for R.H. “Bob” White, a board of regents member. And Bellows Free Academy, a high school in Vermont, has Bobwhites as its mascot.

Notes: I didn’t find any schools with Quails as their nickname, either. There were plenty of Bobcats, though.

I guess all those Bobwhites out there can take comfort knowing they’re original — accept no substitutes. This college mascot-looking logo comes from ClassB.com.

Eagles

Most famous: Tie between Boston College and Marquette (Wis.)

Others: A ton. American University (D.C.), Coppin State University (Md.), Eastern Michigan University, Emory University (Ga.), Florida Gulf Coast University

Notes: Eagles are one of the most-used college nicknames among colleges.

America loves eagles. What more can be said?

Foxes

Most famous: Marist College of Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

Others: n/a

Notes: Marist College was the only school I could find with a fox as its mascot. And they’re actually called the Red Foxes.

Outside of the college realm, I know of one English soccer team known as the Foxes.

Owls

Most famous: Temple University in Philadelphia

Others: Florida Atlantic University, Keene State College (N.H.), Kennesaw State University (Ga.), Rice University (Texas), Southern Connecticut State University

Notes: Oregon Institute of Technology’s nickname isn’t just the Owls.

It’s the Hustlin’ Owls. What a hoot!

Bears

Most famous: Tie between Baylor (Texas) and UC Berkeley

Others: Lots of Bears out there. Brown University (R.I.), University of Maine, Mercer University (Ga.), Missouri State University, University of Northern Colorado

Notes: Plain old “Bears” aren’t all you’ll find at colleges in the U.S.

There’s also Polar Bears (Ohio Northern University), Golden Bears (West Virginia University Institute of Technology) and Sugar Bears (women’s teams at the University of Central Arkansas).

Buffaloes

Most famous: University of Colorado Boulder

Others: Milligan College (Tenn.), West Texas A&M University

Notes: There’s the city of Buffalo, of course, but neither the University at Buffalo nor Buffalo State College use Buffaloes as their mascot.

What a shame!

Antelopes

Most famous: Grand Canyon University in Phoenix

Others: University of Nebraska at Kearney

Notes: Grand Canyon University’s nickname is the Lopes (close enough), and its mascot is Thunder the Antelope.

UNK’s nickname is the Lopes, and its mascot is Louie the Loper.

Bobwhite logo from ClassB.com.