What is a Billiken? Saint Louis basketball nickname, history, origin

Saint Louis basketball was one of the best stories of the first two days of the 2026 Men's NCAA Tournament . After earning a No. 9 seed in March Madness, the Billikens not only won their first tournament game since 2014, but also did it in style.

Saint Louis led No. 8 Georgia wire-to-wire in a 102-77 drubbing, leading by as many as 40 points at one time. First round winners, losers: Key March Madness wins for Nebraska and Kentucky Now, the Billikens are tasked with taking on No.

1 Michigan at 12:15 p. m. ET Saturday, March 21, from the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York, with a chance to advance to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1957.

But that may still leave college basketball fans unfamiliar with the program asking, "What exactly is a Billiken? " Here's the history of Saint Louis' nickname for its athletic programs ahead of the second round matchup with Michigan in the NCAA Tournament: What is a Billiken? According to the Saint Louis University website , the Billiken was a national sensation in the 1900s.