article_snippet: Cinderella teams don't just provide a couple weeks' entertainment; according to some studies, Cinderella teams success has long-term effects.
article_snippet: Thanks to exposure from the NCAAs, such teams as Florida Gulf Coast and George Mason see rises in applications and endowments.
article_snippet: Academics call it the "Flutie Effect" after the charge Boston College received from a last-second 1984 win against Miami, thanks to a Hail Mary pass from quarterback Doug Flutie.
article_snippet: Experts debate how much of an influence athletic wins have on admissions, but there's no question a Cinderella turn gives schools greater exposure, which certainly can't hurt.
article_snippet: George Mason, which went to the Final Four in 2006, and Gonzaga, which broke into nationwide consciousness in the late '90s, saw applications go up after George Mason, which went to the Final Four in 2006, and Gonzaga, which broke into nationwide consciousness in the late '90s turn on stage.
article_snippet: Of the 76 champions, almost one-third -- 25 -- have had mascots based on a human figure, such as Hoosiers and Tar Heels.
article_snippet: Fourteen have been bear-related (largely thanks to UCLA's Bruins, who have won 11 championships) and 10 have been feline
article_snippet: (Kentucky's Wildcats, mainly).