The Wildcats

All football and soccer teams in the United States that are located in towns subject to Television Geography are called the "Wildcats." (Or Cougars, if they want to get specific.) They are typically a Ragtag Bunch of Misfits who somehow manage to beat the odds and win the big game.

Usually a trope of sitcoms and cartoons.

Definitely Truth in Television. If it's not the Wildcats, it may well be the Tigers. Numerous universities and colleges, such as Arizona, Bethune-Cookman, Davidson, Kansas State, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Northwestern, Villanova, and Weber State prove that not even colleges are immune. Just to name a few.

This can also be done in fiction as a slight dig at the NCAA's recent naming policies. While the name Wildcats is historically popular, the number of teams vaguely named after cats and birds has exploded recently as schools try to get away from older, politically incorrect nicknames.

Not to be confused with the superhero comic book series Wild CATS.

Examples of The Wildcats include:

Comic Books

• Superhero teams aren't immune to this. Just ask WildStorm Comics' WildC.A.T.S.
• The school mascot in Ultimate Spider-man.

Film

• Goldie Hawn was in a 1986 film called... Wildcats. Her dream was to coach high school football. Guess what the name of the team is... go on, guess.
• In High School Musical, the basketball team is called this.
• A plot point in Speed.
  • Which was a reference to the aforementioned real-life Arizona Wildcats.
• The football team from Prudence's high school in Across the Universe.

Live Action TV

• The Pee Wee Hockey League team MacGyver belonged to as a boy, as seen in the episode "Harry's Will".
• Claire's original high school football team on Heroes: The Wildcats.
• The basketball team in High School Musical is called the Wildcats, as are teams in several other Disney Channel original movies.
• Hal coaching Dewie's soccer team The Tigers on Malcolm in the Middle.
• When prompted for whatever reason to say which janitorial closet Cameron and Chase had been having their liaisons in, House sarcastically said, "the one at the local high school. Go Tigercats!"

Theatre

• The college football team in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Allegro.

Video Games

• The baseball team in Burnout Paradise.

Web Comics

• Lampshaded in 8-Bit Theater

Western Animation

• The high school and middle school teams from King of the Hill were originally named the Cougars. Later season changed it to the Longhorns.
• The Simpsons Lampshaded this trope:

"Who are we?"
"The Wildcats!"
"Who are we gonna beat?"
"The Wildcats!"

• The Kitchen Coliseum in Futurama is "Home to the Kitchen Universium Wildcats."

Other

• Lampshaded in this article, on a "likability index":

"If your mascot is a Husky, deduct one point for triteness. If your mascot is a Wildcat, deduct two points for Egregious triteness."

• Parodied on Teen Girl Squad with the Fighting Growlbacks.
• Also very common in Real Life are Eagles and Wolverines.