The University of Akron has a kangaroo mascots so UMKC is not the only other University. U of A is also ncaa division 1 in all their sports.

The Unicorns!

When I went there, we also went by the Unis. Also, before we chose the Unicorns, the TI-83 was a potential candidate.

Interesting story on the Oglethorpe University mascot:

The Stormy Petrel is an extinct, seafaring bird. Similar to a seagull. It would land on the masts of ships back during the age of exploration.

Not sure that it's true, but the story I've often heard is that the birds developed an oily substance on their wings, which was quite flammable.

Upon the appearance of a stormy petrel on their deck, sailors would know that land was near. They'd wait until dark, take a match to the bird's wings, and watch the direction it flew in order to follow it to shore.

Again, not sure if it's fact or fiction...but it makes for an interesting story behind a landlocked University whose mascot is an extinct bird.

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I'm also a big fan of the Purple Cows from Williams College, and the Fighting Christians from Eloy. Nothing to strike the fear of God into a rival football team like a Fighting Christian.

'Cause few things in life feel better than telling a defeated opponent that "you've just been beaten by a bunch of naked androgynous baby-dolls."

The unofficial nickname of Long Beach State 49er baseball team refers to the program’s style of play and success against higher profile programs. The moniker was first coined for Coach Snow’s first team in 1989 which was comprised of nearly all new players. Playing without a home field (LBCC, Cerritos JC and Blair Field), and practicing at a local all-dirt Pony Field, that team won its first 18 games and advanced to the 49ers first College World Series appearance. Then-infield coach Dave Malpass would take his infielders to the all-dirt field for their rigorous workout. The infielders would return to the regular practice field after their sessions covered in dirt. Thus the name “Dirtbags” was born. The name resurfaced again in 1993 when the 12-12 49ers rallied to win 34 of their next 41 games and finish three outs short of the National Championship game. The “Dirtbags” were once again a fan favorite at the 1998 College World Series as the country received a lesson in “Dirtbag” baseball.

Even though it says "unofficial", there's not a fan in the stands at Blair that knows them by anything other than the Dirtbags. Except occasionally the D-Bags when they're losing.

I went to grad school at USC, which has an odd mascot, the Trojan. It was not named after the condom... they got the name because Cecil B. DeMille recruited the band to play a marching band in an epic about the Trojan wars, and they kept the uniforms afterwards. (It was a silent movie, ironically.) The nickname previously was the Wesleyans.

I did my undergrad at Columbia who have a fairly generic nickname the Lions. It doesn't fit the name of the school, which is the Latin word for "pigeon." But it does fit the original name of the school, Kings College. The pigeon would have been a better mascot, I think: it even fits the school colors, which are a greyish blue and white, much the same colors as a typical pigeon.

David G.- our mascot was a friggin kangaroo named "Moe." Our team name was/is the "Keydets" and the only thing I can see these two sharing is their first letter. I have yet to see anything in the historical works of the Virginia Military Institute to explain why a kangaroo and why "Moe." The closest I can come up with is a large fan base of Three Stooges fans (hence "Moe") and someone trying to get a free trip to Australia to round up a fitting marsupial.

Fight, fight, Inner Light,
Kill, Quakers, kill!

Go, AC Roos! Two high schools in Texas - Killeen and Weatherford - also have kangaroo mascots, but only one other university in the U.S. - U Missouri-Kansas City http://www.umkckangaroos.com/ My Australian friends are a bit mystified by the mascot concept...

Also, the El Campo (Texas) fighting Ricebirds!