Pro/College Sports Teams - Same Nicknames Quiz

Answer: East Carolina

The Pittsburgh Pirates are one of the oldest teams in Major League Baseball, and took part in the very first World Series in 1903, losing to the Boston Americans (Red Sox). Their next appearance in the World Series was in 1909, which they won (vs. Detroit Tigers).

The East Carolina Pirates, from Greenville, North Carolina, are members of the American Athletic Conference. They won a national title in swimming at NAIA level in 1957, but failed to win an NCAA national crown during the 20th century.

Answer: Louisville

The St Louis Cardinals won the World Series for the 11th time in 2011, making them the second-most successful team in MLB history at that time, behind the New York Yankees who won their 27th crown two years earlier in 2009.

The Louisville Cardinals joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 2014, and won the NCAA men's basketball national title in both 1980 and 1986 - a third crown, in 2013, was later vacated.

Answer: Clemson

The Detroit Tigers were one of the original American League franchises which began play in 1901. They won four World Series titles during the 20th century (1935, 1945, 1968 and 1984).

The Clemson Tigers (my apologies if you are a fan of one the many other colleges who use that nickname) are members of the Atlantic Coast Conference, and are renowned for their gridiron squad. Their first national titles in this sport was in 1981.

Answer: Virginia

The Cleveland Cavaliers joined the NBA in 1970 and had a golden era during the second decade of the 21st century. In 2016, they won their first league title, defeating the Golden State Warriors 4-3 in the finals.

The Virginia Cavaliers, based in Charlottesville, are members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They have won NCAA national titles in numerous sports, with men's soccer and men's and women's lacrosse proving particularly successful.

Answer: Montana

The Grizzlies began NBA play in 1995 in Vancouver, relocating to Memphis in 2001.

The Montana Grizzlies, based in Missoula, are members of the Big Sky Conference. Their gridiron team won the Division 1-AA national title in both 1995 and 2001.

Answer: Toledo

The Houston Rockets began play in the NBA in 1967 when they were based in San Diego. They relocated to Texas in 1971, and won back-to-back league titles in 1994 and 1995.

The Toledo Rockets are members of the Mid-American Conference, and failed to win any national titles during the 20th century. Their gridiron squad won ten NCAA bowl games between 1969 and 2015.

Answer: Western Michigan

The Denver Broncos were one of the original franchises which formed the American Football League in 1960, before becoming part of the NFL in 1970. After a number of losing Super Bowl appearances, they eventually won the big game in Super Bowls XXXII, XXXIII and 50.

The Western Michigan Broncos, from Kalamazoo, are members of the Mid-American Conference. They won two NCAA national titles during the 20th century, the men's cross country team triumphing in both 1964 and 1965.

Answer: Boston College

The Philadelphia Eagles were formed in 1933 as a replacement for the Frankford Yellow Jackets who had gone bust. They won three NFL titles in the pre-Super Bowl era (1948, 1949 and 1961), and won their first Super Bowl when they defeated the New England Patriots in February, 2018, to win Super Bowl LII.

The Boston College Eagles are members of the Atlantic Coast Conference, and have achieved most success on the ice hockey rink, their men's squads winning national titles five times between 1949 and 2012. In 2021, the school's women finally landed their first national crown when their lacrosse squad defeated Syracuse in the championship game.

Answer: Oregon

The Anaheim Ducks began NHL play in 1993 under their original moniker of Mighty Ducks of Anaheim (dropped "Mighty" for the 2006 season). In 2007, they defeated the Ottawa Senators 4-1 to win the Stanley Cup for the first time.

The Oregon Ducks, from Eugene, are members of the Pac-12 Conference. They are traditionally one of the strongest schools in the country in track and field, with their men's and women's indoor and outdoor squads winning a combined 22 NCAA national titles between 1962 and 2021.

Answer: UCLA

The Boston Bruins are one of the "original six" franchises, having begun play in 1924. Their history has been characterised by long title droughts, with the 1970 Stanley Cup win being their first since 1941. After retaining the trophy in 1971, they then had to wait another 41 years before defeating the Vancouver Canucks in the 2011 finals.

The UCLA Bruins, from Los Angeles, are members of the Pacific-12 Conference. By early 2021, they had won no fewer than 119 NCAA national titles across all sports. Their most famous teams are arguably the men's basketball squads of the 1960s/70s - legendary coach John Wooden led them to 10 titles between 1964 and 1975.