CINCINNATI – Clumps of Abby Strietmann’s red hair cling to her forehead as she slips out the zippered back of her Blue Blob mascot costume. She slides her 5-foot-1, 125-pound frame warily to the floor and leans her sweat-soaked back against a cinderblock wall.

Ah, a little cool air.

Xavier’s nationally ranked basketball team has just dashed off the court for halftime. With a double-digit lead, the Musketeers would probably rather keep playing.

Not Strietmann. She needs this timeout.

“This is warmer than normal,” she says, sticking out her tongue. “Still, it’s a lot of fun. I love it.”

She’s got plenty of sweaty company now that it’s tournament time. Hundreds of college students are climbing into costumes of blobs and Billikens, panthers and peacocks, demon deacons and founding fathers, and heading to far-flung arenas for their own version of March Madness.

Like the players, they are fit, they vie for a competitive job, and some even get all their tuition paid. They’re at center court for the best moments of the season – and some of the most grueling, given that teams can play on three or four consecutive days in conference tournaments.

Consider the Hawk, mascot at Saint Joseph’s in Philadelphia: As he roams the arena floor, tradition dictates that he also flap his wings during games. Constantly. The further his team advances, the more the Hawk starts to stink like he’s been at the gym for days with no shower.

“All our coaches always joke with me about how bad I smell,” said Tim Klarich, the current Hawk.

But like Strietmann, who will accompany Xavier’s women at the NCAA tournament, students consider it the coolest thing they’ve ever done.

“It opens opportunities that normal college kids don’t usually have access to,” said Steve Klarich, Tim’s older brother, who was the Hawk from 2001-03.

Tim Klarich called it “the next best thing to playing.”

Just like the athletes, mascot candidates have to make it through demanding tryouts. They must be able to handle an intense cardiovascular workout in a bulky, heat-retaining costume.

But there also are perks. Some schools give their mascots stipends. The Hawk at Saint Joseph’s gets tuition covered – a $32,710 benefit for his dual role as team manager and mascot. Penn State’s Nittany Lion also gets a free ride.

Some even turn their mascot days into careers, going on to fill costumes for professional teams.

And like every player, they dream of making the Final Four.

Jason Zicchino got to do it in 2000, filling the role of Sparty while Michigan State beat Florida to win the national championship. The experience overwhelmed him.

“I just tried to take a step back for every game and appreciate the moment,” said Zicchino, who works in the insurance industry in Texas. “By the time we got to the national championship game, I was in tears. I was crying in the last three minutes of the game.”

Every mascot would love to get the costume wet that way.