The off-court icons that define March Madness culture | The GIST

Some of the best March Madness moments didn’t happen on the court, but instead on the sidelines…or in the group chat. Here are a few folks who broke the basketball internet.

Hype master Amir “Aura” Khan: This year’s aforementioned media darling rose to stardom after a video of him hyping up the team with his trademark boombox went viral. Six figures worth of NIL deals later, Khan cemented himself as a March Madness legend — and maybe even nabbed a role as a graduate assistant at a Power Four program. Big money moves.

Sister Jean’s holy bracket: When Loyola University Chicago, a Catholic university, made a Cinderella run in 2018, then–98-year-old team chaplain Sister Jean Schmidt became an instant international sensation for her enthusiastic support of the Ramblers and precious grandma vibes. Now 105 and still attending games, the nun is considered the modern-day patron saint of March Madness.

Everyone hates Christian Laettner: Laettner wasn’t just a star center for the Duke men’s team in the 90s — he was a larger-than-life cultural figure that everyone had an opinion on.

Stone-cold Jay Wright: Before he became a commentator, Wright was the ultra-successful coach of Villanova men’s hoops from 2001 to 2022. When his 2016 team won the whole tourney on Kris Jenkins’ buzzer-beater, one of the most exciting title games ever became an instant classic — as did Wright’s unbelievably unemotional reaction. Ice in his veins.

We’re all superfans when it comes to March Madness — but these supporters happened to be on camera when emotions were running high, sealing their place in relatable hoops history.

Crying Piccolo Girl and Crying Northwestern Kid: The tears that sparked a million memes have become the go-to symbol for fans’ sports-related distress. But all’s well that ends well: The Northwestern kid goes to Harvard now, and the aforementioned Wright credited Piccolo Girl, then a member of Villanova’s band, as fuel for their 2016 championship run.

Caitlin Clark’s dad: While the rest of the world relished in Clark’s fiery on-court play, Brent Clark had had enough of his daughter’s attitude. Cameras caught him in the stands, yelling at her to stop complaining about the refs during a 2024 March Madness game, and athlete parents everywhere nodded in solidarity.

The Oklahoma State Juice Boys: McNeese State isn’t the only squad with an internet-famous manager this year. The Oklahoma State women’s team managers run a fan-favorite TikTok, and this video of them hyped out of their minds for the gals’ first-round matchup vs. South Dakota State stole the spotlight. Caution: Some tables were harmed in the making of this video.

The rapper who gave Dawn Staley her chain: Rapper Plies is a huge South Carolina women’s basketball fan, and he proved it when he gifted their head coach an iced-out chain in the likeness of the national championship trophy this year. The look is almost as iconic as the handmade necklaces young fans who are battling illnesses gave her, which she wears to almost every game.

The best thing about sports? It’s always so much more than just a game. Here are the March Madness moments that gave sportsmanship a whole new meaning.

Carolyn Peck’s net: When the former Purdue women’s coach became the first Black person to lead a team to the title in 1999, she shared a piece of the championship net with another Black woman who was then an up-and-coming coach: Dawn Staley. She told Staley that while Peck was the first, she didn’t want to be the last, starting a tradition that Staley continues today.

Abby, the honorary Husky: The UConn women’s basketball team has plenty of passionate fans, but none quite as inspiring as Abby Zittoun, the young cancer patient who captured players’ hearts this year. She attended their team events; they attended her bat mitzvah; they were her biggest cheerleaders as she battled illness. Grab some tissues before you watch this video.

The Vandogs: When the Yale Bulldogs’ pep band couldn’t make it to their men’s team’s 2024 tournament appearance in Spokane, Washington, the nearby Idaho Vandals pep band volunteered to step in. Dubbing themselves the Vandogs, they cheered Yale on as if it were their own team — especially when the No. 13 seed upset No. 4 Auburn in the first round. Call that hitting a high note.

♥️ Jimmy V’s ESPYs speech: Legendary NC State men’s coach Jim Valvano led the Cardiac Pack in one of the most thrilling tourney runs ever in 1983. Winning the title sealed his place as an all-time great March Madness coach, but it was his ESPYs acceptance speech a decade later that made him a household name to this day.