How a Trash Can Helped Bring a Team to Victory
College basketball is steeped in tradition that brings its teams and fans together. Some schools have a lucky talisman to touch before every game. Others have songs that serve as rallying cries. The University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) men’s basketball team beats up a trashcan in the locker room after a win. You know – normal stuff.
Wait – what?
Yep. In a tradition that very quickly became a national sensation this year, the UNO Mavericks have turned a locker room celebration into a major communications and public relations opportunity, while also building fan culture.
How We Got Here
Every great team ritual starts somewhere. And for Mavericks Associate Head Coach Kyan Brown, it started as a basic need – a way to pump up the team. He reported to WOWT:
“What’s going on? Where’s the adrenaline? Where’s the juice?” Brown said, firing himself up while recalling the team’s somber mood. “I looked over in the corner and there’s this big plastic trash can. I’m like, I’m gonna bump this trash can! So I kicked the heck out of it.”
And that was that. A tradition was born, and now every locker room celebration involves a trash can being pummeled.
But it quickly became more than that. The trash can became a motivator, a shared inside joke, and, before long, a bona fide good luck charm. When the Mavericks started winning, the trash can wasn’t just along for the ride—it was part of the story.
The team embraced it. Fans caught on. And now? National media is paying attention. ESPN analysts have highlighted UNO’s “Bring Your Own Trash Can” movement, and fans have been showing up to games in record numbers, trash cans in hand, ready to rally behind their team. It was a genius push by the Maverick PR team to boost ticket sales and generate buzz.
The Mavericks aren’t just winning games; they’re creating a brand identity—and it’s fun.
Why Traditions Matter: The Glue
Sports teams thrive on tradition – something that corporate and nonprofit organizations alike can learn from as they build cultures internally and champions externally. These rituals create an emotional bond with your audience. They give teams, fandoms, and customers something unique to rally around, talk about, and build upon.
For UNO, the trash can is that glue. It’s a bonding tradition that fosters unity. It’s a superstition that motivates players to win. It’s an inside joke that fans love to share.
And, it’s just weird enough to capture the attention of national media.
A Perfect Storm
As UNO Head Coach Chris Crutchfield shared with the Omaha World-Herald, the timing couldn’t have been better for the Mavericks to catapult into the college basketball conversation. They’ve had a historic run this year, coming out on top as the Summit League regular season champions.
And now, it looks like they’ll be on their way to the NCAA tournament – pushing them further into the national spotlight. (Go Mavs!)
Win or lose, the trash can has become the glue for the Mavericks. For fans, the trash can is a reminder that sports should be fun. For the team, the trash can is a motivator and a rallying point. Traditions don’t have to be polished or corporate-approved to matter. Sometimes, the best ones are born from sheer randomness—the kind that players latch onto, fans rally behind, and an entire program embraces.