Nicknames-only March Madness bracket PDF for free: Pick winners by mascots

The 2026 NCAA Tournament features 13 big cats, 9 birds, 8 dogs and 4 weather-themed nicknames

Mar. 17, 2026 at 9:50am

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The 2026 NCAA men's basketball tournament is here, which means it's time to fill out brackets. For those looking to make picks based solely on team nicknames and mascots rather than in-depth analysis, Sporting News has created a printable bracket PDF with just the nicknames to make your selections easier.

Why it matters

Filling out March Madness brackets is a beloved annual tradition, but you don't need to be an expert to participate. In fact, picking winners based on mascots or other random factors can sometimes result in more accurate brackets than those filled out by self-proclaimed "experts."

The details

The 2026 NCAA Tournament field features a wide variety of team nicknames, including 13 big cats, 9 types of birds, 8 types of dogs, and 4 weather-themed nicknames. The most common nickname is "Wildcats," which has won the most national championships with 12 thanks to schools like Kentucky, Villanova and Arizona. The tournament begins with the First Four on March 17 in Dayton, Ohio, followed by the first and second rounds from March 19-22 and the Final Four and national championship games April 4-6 in Indianapolis.

  • The 2026 NCAA Tournament begins with the First Four on March 17 in Dayton, Ohio.
  • The first and second rounds take place from March 19-22.
  • The Final Four and national championship games are scheduled for April 4-6 in Indianapolis.

The players

Sporting News

A leading sports media outlet that has created a printable March Madness bracket featuring just the team nicknames to help fans make their picks.

NCAA

The organization that oversees the men's college basketball tournament, known as March Madness.

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What they’re saying

“Sometimes, the tournament is so unpredictable that bracket picks based on mascots, team colors or flipping a coin could result in a better bracket than an "expert" who spent hours memorizing rosters, listening to podcasts and analyzing matchups from every possible angle.”

— Micah Adams, Author

What’s next

The deadline to submit a men's NCAA Tournament bracket is 12:15 p.m. ET on Thursday, March 19 — the start time of the first game of the first round. Online bracket pool contests will lock after tipoff.

The takeaway

March Madness is a time for fun and unpredictability, and filling out a bracket based solely on team nicknames and mascots can be just as rewarding as an in-depth analysis. This printable bracket PDF makes it easy for fans to make their picks without getting bogged down in statistics and expert predictions.