Oregon College Nicknames Trivia Quiz

Answer: Wolves

Western Oregon University (WOU) was established in 1856 in Monmouth, Polk County. The Wolves nickname dates back to 1928 when gridiron coach Larry Wolfe suggested the team be named in his honor. WOU are members of the NCAA Division II Great Northwest Athletic Conference for most sports, with their gridiron squad competing in the Lone Star Conference.

Answer: Beavers

Oregon State University (OSU) was founded in 1868 in Corvallis, Benton County. The school has been known as Beavers since 1921, taking their name from the nickname of the state itself. OSU are members of the Pac-12 Conference. The Beavers have achieved their greatest success on the baseball diamond, with three College World Series crowns between 2006 and 2018.

Answer: Wildcats

Linfield University was founded in 1858 in McMinnville, Yamhill County. Originally nicknamed The Baptists, the Wildcats moniker was adopted in 1924 when students decided that the name reflect "a small school with a lot of fight and scratch." Linfield is a member of the NCAA Division III Northwest Conference.

In 2024, the Wildcats gridiron team recorded their 68th consecutive winning season, which was a record across all levels of college football (the streak began in 1956).

Answer: Pilots

The University of Portland was founded in 1901 in the largest city in Oregon. The Pilots nickname was adopted in 1935 in honor of the riverboat pilots who navigated boats on the nearby Willamette River. The Pilots are members of the West Coast Conference, and won national titles in women's soccer in 2002 and 2005. The school does not field a gridiron team.

Answer: Boxers

Pacific University was established in 1849 in Forest Grove, Washington County. The school shouldn't be confused with the University of the Pacific, which is located in Stockton, California. The Boxers name was originally adopted in 1908 at the the time of the Boxer Rebellion in China, but this was later replaced by Badgers.

In 1968, the Boxers moniker was readopted, this time with a boxer dog mascot. Pacific are members of the Northwest Conference, and has won numerous national crowns in the sport of handball.

Answer: Mountaineers

Eastern Oregon University (EOU) was founded in 1929 in La Grande, Union County. The Mountaineers moniker reflects the school's location in the Blue Mountain range. EOU is a member of the NAIA Cascade Collegiate Conference for most sports, with their gridiron team competing in the Frontier Conference.

Answer: Vikings

Portland State University (PSU) was established in 1946, under its original name of Vansport Extension Center, as a school for returning World War 2 veterans. The current name was adopted in 1955. The Vikings nickname is alliterative with the school's original name. PSU have been members of the NCAA Division I Big Sky Conference since 1996, having previously competed at Division II level.

The Vikings won numerous Division II national titles in wrestling and women's volleyball.

Answer: Raiders

Southern Oregon University (SOU) was established in 1872 in Ashland, Jackson County. The school adopted the nicknamed "Red Raiders" in 1946 in deference to local native Americans, with the "red" part of the name being dropped in 1980. The school's mascot is a red-tailed hawk. SOU are members of the NAIA Cascade Collegiate Conference for most sports, with their gridiron team competing in the Frontier Conference.

The Raiders have won NAIA national crowns in gridiron, softball, wrestling and men's cross country.

Answer: Ducks

The University of Oregon was established in 1876 in Eugene, Lane County. Originally known as Webfoots, the school adopted Ducks as their nickname in the 1940's, with Walt Disney giving them permission to use Donald Duck as their mascot. Oregon was a member of the Pac-12 Conference for many decades until departing for the Big Ten in 2024.

The school has won numerous national titles, with their greatest successes coming in cross country and indoor and outdoor track & field.

Answer: Hustlin' Owls

The Oregon Institute of Technology, normally referred to as Oregon Tech, was established in 1947 in Klamath Falls. Owls is a common nickname in US college sports, but Oregon Tech are only ones with Hustlin' as a prefix. The school is a member of the NAIA Cascade Collegiate Conference and won three NAIA Division II national crowns in basketball between 2004 and 2012.