Mercer Bears

The Mercer Bears bring Southern Conference basketball to Macon, Georgia, playing home games at Hawkins Arena on Mercer University's campus. The program earned a permanent place in March Madness lore with one of the tournament's most iconic upsets. Mercer's orange-and-black crowds are known for their energy during SoCon and NCAA Tournament runs. The Bears remain a consistently competitive presence in the conference.

Mercer has never won a national championship, but its defining moment came in the 2014 NCAA Tournament, when the 14-seed Bears upset third-seeded Duke, sparking the widely replayed "Mercer dance" celebration. The Bears have won multiple Southern Conference regular-season and tournament titles. That 2014 tournament run remains the signature achievement in program history.