Basketball Belief: How the 16 Teams Left in March Madness Reflect Spirituality

EAST

Wisconsin: You could argue that this eighth seed needed a little divine intervention just to get to this point. More obviously, Wisconsin’s mascot—the Badger—is one of the only mascots mentioned by name in the Bible—at least in the King James Version of the good book. For centuries, readers believed that the tabernacle in the wilderness was covered in badger skins. Most folks now believe that those “badger” hides were actually the skins of seals or some mysterious kind of antelope, but I kind of like the idea of the tabernacle covered with hundreds of tiny red-and-white turtlenecks.

Florida: The school’s namesake state is just two hours away from Orlando, home of The Holy Land Experience (and a couple of other theme parks, if memory serves). More significantly, the University of Florida was the collegiate home of Tim Tebow, the renowned NFL quarterback/minor league baseball player/internet meme creator. He’s also arguably the sports world’s most outspoken Christian. Here he is, speaking out.

Baylor: I didn’t need to work too hard to find a spiritual connection with this explicitly Baptist university. From Baylor’s website: “Baylor continues to hold firm to the conviction that the world needs a preeminent research university that is unambiguously Christian, where such a commitment does not imply a lack of scholarly inquiry, but rather requires scholarship and creative endeavors at the highest levels of quality to complement and inform its teaching and service.”

Not enough? Listen to what Baylor coach Scott Drew told Fox Sports in 2014, when the Bears weren’t quite so good. “We may not win another game this year, and I may be a horrible coach, but if any of these guys leave without knowing Christ, that would be the real loss.”

South Carolina: This year, the Gamecocks literally beat the devils—the Duke Blue Devils, that is. The seventh seed may be one of the most dangerous teams in the tournament and is located in the heart of the Bible belt. In addition, the University of South Carolina’s hometown of Columbia also serves as the locale for the United States Army Chaplain Corps Museum.