FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!

Quiz about Former Nicknames and Stories 1

Former Nicknames and Stories #1 Quiz

I thought it might be fun to poke around and find out a little bit about the history of the nicknames of a few well known universities. Here are the results. Good luck.

A multiple-choice quiz by WilkeCollins. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
WilkeCollins

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
129,375

Updated
Jul 23 22

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Impossible

Avg Score
2 / 10

Plays
2574

Awards
Top 35% Quiz

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. What was the nickname of Arizona State's sports teams before they became known as the Sun Devils? Hint

Roadrunners

Bulldogs

Phoenix

Tigers

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. Nebraska's athletes in 2003 were known as the Cornhuskers, but they were once known as all of the following nicknames except which one? Hint

Twisters

Antelopes

Bugeaters

Old Gold Knights

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. Before receiving the confusing nickname of Hoyas, what was the nickname of Georgetown University? Hint

Carpenters

Patriots

Stonewalls

Minutemen

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. The Western Carolina Catamounts were known previously as which of the following? Hint

Teachers

Deans

Students

Deacons

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. Which university's teams were formerly known as the Matadors, but almost became known as the Dogies before settling on their terrifically terrifying nickname? Hint

Wake Forest

San Diego State

Texas Tech

Arizona

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. What was the former nickname of the Western Michigan Broncos? Hint

Riflemen

Hilltoppers

Colts

Squirrels

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. What were the Trojans of USC called before they received their now-famous nickname? Hint

Conquistadors

Missionaries

Methodists

Padres

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. What was the nickname of Gonzaga before they became known as the Bulldogs? Hint

Pony Riders

Jesuits

Pheasants

Fighting Irish

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. The Bowling Green Falcons were previously known by which nickname? Hint

Normals

Irregulars

Regulars

Smalls

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. What was the former nickname of the Idaho State Bengals? Hint

Beetdiggers

Cruisers

Bantams

Skiers

(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

Select a User ID:

Choose a Password:

Your Email:

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What was the nickname of Arizona State's sports teams before they became known as the Sun Devils?

Answer: Bulldogs

Yes, they were known as the Bulldogs, but even before the Bulldog nickname, they were known as the Tempe Normal Owls.

2. Nebraska's athletes in 2003 were known as the Cornhuskers, but they were once known as all of the following nicknames except which one?

Answer: Twisters

They were also know as the Rattlesnake Boys before they got the Cornhusker moniker which, according to the sports information department, may have been taken from the University of Iowa. Just think, it could have been the Iowa Cornhuskers and the Nebraska Bugeaters.

3. Before receiving the confusing nickname of Hoyas, what was the nickname of Georgetown University?

Answer: Stonewalls

What is a Hoya anyway? According to the University's website the term hoya derived from the cheer, "Hoya Saxa". Apparently that means, "What rocks", in Latin. The cheer led to the nickname and the confusion of nearly everyone.

4. The Western Carolina Catamounts were known previously as which of the following?

Answer: Teachers

Western Carolina, like many other teaching colleges used the nickname, "Teachers". In fact, Indiana State was once known as the "Fighting Teachers", but I chose here to mention Western Carolina, because the choice of a mascot came down to Catamounts and Mountain Boomers, and I just think Mountain Boomers sounds funny.

5. Which university's teams were formerly known as the Matadors, but almost became known as the Dogies before settling on their terrifically terrifying nickname?

Answer: Texas Tech

Apparently the Matador nickname slowly morphed into Red Raider, perhaps because it sounded tougher.

6. What was the former nickname of the Western Michigan Broncos?

Answer: Hilltoppers

Called the "Hilltoppers" because the campus sits atop a hill, Western Michigan changed it to Broncos in 1939, because so many other schools in the immediate area shared the same nickname.

7. What were the Trojans of USC called before they received their now-famous nickname?

Answer: Methodists

School officials didn't like the nickname "Methodists" nor "Wesleyans" which they were also called, so because they thought their teams fought against such tremendous odds, they adopted the name of the men from Troy.

8. What was the nickname of Gonzaga before they became known as the Bulldogs?

Answer: Fighting Irish

In an effort to become the Notre Dame of the West, the teams were originally called the Fighting Irish but it just never held.

9. The Bowling Green Falcons were previously known by which nickname?

Answer: Normals

Many teaching institutions were known as normal schools, hence the nickname "normals". What is interesting about Bowling Green is that they were called the Falcons because a sports writer had recently read a book on falconry, and thought the animals were worthy mascots because they were swift and ferocious.

10. What was the former nickname of the Idaho State Bengals?

Answer: Bantams

Why they were called the Bantams is a mystery, but a school administrater from Idaho State once commented, that there were no Bengals anywhere in the area nor did he ever expect to see one in the area. So maybe the better question is, "Why Bengals"?

Source: Author WilkeCollins

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Nightmare before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.