Cleveland State

The Cleveland State Vikings embody a legendary giant-killer spirit, the blue-collar grit of their hometown, and the resilient pride of being Cleveland's public university. The university's place in March Madness lore was cemented in 1986, when the No. 14 seeded "Runnin' Vikes" shocked the nation by upsetting Bob Knight's Indiana Hoosiers on their way to becoming the first #14 seed in history to reach the Sweet Sixteen. They revived that underdog magic in 2009, with the No. 13 seeded Vikings toppling a talented Wake Forest team to add another monumental upset to their decorated history. A recent resurgence has seen the program return to the top of the Horizon League, with a 2021 trip to the NCAA Tournament signaling a new era of championship contention. This tenacious spirit is also found on the wrestling mat, where the Vikings compete in the tough Mid-American Conference and have a proud history of producing NCAA All-Americans. The Cleveland State Vikings are the embodiment of their city's fighting spirit, a program forever defined by its ability to take on and defeat the giants of college sports.