Nittany Lion

Mountain lion mascot of Pennsylvania State University

This article is about the mascot. For the fight song, see The Nittany Lion (song).

Nittany Lion

The Nittany Lion mascot at the 2007 season opener at Beaver Stadium against FIU

University| Pennsylvania State University
Conference| Big Ten
Description| Nittany Lion
Origin of name| Mount Nittany in Pennsylvania
First seen| 1904; 121 years ago (1904)
Website| gopsusports.com/nittany-lion

The Nittany Lion is the eastern mountain lion mascot of the athletic teams of the Pennsylvania State University, known as the Penn State Nittany Lions. Created in 1907, the "Nittany" forename refers to the local Mount Nittany, which overlooks the university.

## History

[edit]

Penn State football coach Hugo Bezdek shakes hands with the Nittany Lion in the 1920s

The mascot was the creation of Penn State senior H. D. "Joe" Mason in 1904. While on a trip to Princeton University, Mason had been embarrassed that Penn State did not have a mascot. Mason did not let that deter him: he fabricated the Nittany Lion on the spot and proclaimed that it would easily defeat the Princeton Bengal tiger.[1]

The Lion's primary means of attack against the Tiger would be its strong right arm, capable of slaying any foes, which is now traditionally exemplified through cumulative one-armed push-ups after the team scores a touchdown. Upon returning to campus, he set about making his invention a reality. In 1907, he wrote in the student publication The Lemon:

> Every college the world over of any consequence has a college emblem of some kind—all but The Pennsylvania State College...Why not select for ours the king of beasts—the Lion!! Dignified, courageous, magnificent, the Lion allegorically represents all that our College Spirit should be, so why not 'the Nittany Mountain Lion'? Why cannot State have a kingly, all-conquering Lion as the eternal sentinel?[2]

### History

[edit]

The Nittany Lion mascot pumps up the crowd at the 2005 Penn State Nittany Lions football game versus Cincinnati at Beaver Stadium

Eastern mountain lions had roamed on nearby Mount Nittany until the 1880s.[2] The name "Mount Nittany" derives from the Algonquian word meaning "single mountain."[3] The "original" Nittany Lion can be seen in the Penn State All-Sports Museum. It was killed in Susquehanna County by Samuel Brush in 1856.[4] According to a July 1992 article in National Geographic by Maurice Hornocker titled "Learning to Live with Mountain Lions", "Courthouse records from Centre County, Pennsylvania, show that one local hunter killed 64 lions between 1820 and 1845. During those 25 years an estimated 600 cats were killed in that county alone."

## Theme song

[edit]

Main article: The Nittany Lion (song)

In the early 1920s, a song was created to honor the mascot. Entitled "The Nittany Lion", it is played during sporting events on campus.

## See also

[edit]

* Nittany Lion Shrine
* Penn State Nittany Lions
* Pennsylvania State University

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Penn State: What is a Nittany Lion?". Archived from the original on 10 March 2018. Retrieved 27 March 2008.
2. ^ a b Cronin, Brian (May 20, 2012). "The story of the Penn State Nittany Lion". Los Angeles Times.
3. ^ https://www.psucollegian.com/news/borough/creating-penn-state-memories-the-history-impact-of-mount-nittany/article_128e9686-a884-11eb-9d42-97b2dfce47a0.html
4. ^ This Is Penn State, An Insider's Guide to the University Park Campus, pg. 74

## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Nittany Lion (mascot).

* Official website
* Nittany Lion Mascots Archived 2018-03-10 at the Wayback Machine
* Esposito, Jackie R. and Steven L. Herb. The Nittany Lion, Penn State Press, 2001 ISBN 0-271-02115-2

* v
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Pennsylvania State University

Located in State College, Pennsylvania

Academics|

* Agricultural Sciences
* Arts and Architecture
* Business
* Communications
* Dickinson Law
* Earth and Mineral Sciences
* Education
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* Health and Human Development
* Hospitality Management
* Honors
* Information Sciences and Technology
* International Affairs
* Law
* Liberal Arts
* Medicine
* Nursing
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Athletics|

| Sports|

* Penn State Nittany Lions
* Baseball
* Men's basketball
* Women's basketball
* Field hockey
* Football
* Men's ice hockey
* Women's ice hockey
* Men's lacrosse
* Women's lacrosse
* Men's soccer
* Women's soccer
* Softball
* Track and field
* Men's volleyball
* Women's volleyball
* Wrestling

|

Facilities|

* Beaver Stadium
* Bryce Jordan Center
* Golf Courses
* Pegula Ice Arena
* Penn State Ice Pavilion
* Medlar Field at Lubrano Park
* Rec Hall

Rivalries|

* Alabama
* Maryland
* Michigan State
* Ohio State
* Pittsburgh
* Syracuse
* West Virginia

Spirit|

* Legion of Blue
* Park Avenue Army
* Alma Mater
* Penn State Blue Band
* "Fight On, State"
* Nittany Lion (mascot)
* "The Nittany Lion"

Buildings|

* Academic buildings
* Berkey Creamery
* Nittany Lion Inn
* Old Main
* Palmer Museum of Art
* IST Building
* Mehalso Observatory
* Radiation Science & Engineering Center
* Residence halls
* University libraries

Campuses:
Commonwealth|

* Abington
* Altoona
* Berks
* Beaver
* Brandywine
* DuBois
* Erie (Behrend College)
* Fayette (Eberly Campus)
* Greater Allegheny
* Harrisburg (Capital College)
* Hazleton
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* Mont Alto
* New Kensington
* Schuylkill
* Shenango
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* Scranton
* York

Campuses:
Special Mission|

* Dickinson Law
* Graduate Professional Studies
* Medical Center (Children's Hospital)
* Law
* World Campus
* Technology

Departments|

* Cancer Institute
* Harold and Inge Marcus Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

Research|

* Applied Research Laboratory
* Garfield Thomas Water Tunnel
* Penn State Lunar Lion Team
* Correlates of War

Media|

* Daily Collegian
* Penn State Law Review
* Dickinson Law Review
* Penn State University Press
* WKPS (90.7 FM)
* WPSU (91.5 FM)
* WPSU-TV
* Onward State
* La Vie
* Phroth

People|

* Alumni
* Athletic directors
* Coaches
* Faculty
* Olympians
* Presidents
* George W. Atherton
* Neeli Bendapudi (current president)
* Joe Paterno
* Fred Lewis Pattee
* Jerry Sandusky
* Graham Spanier

Student life|

* Army ROTC
* Air Force ROTC
* Penn State Dance Marathon (THON)
* Penn State Thespians
* Penn State women's ice hockey club
* Penn State Glee Club
* Mount Nittany
* Nittany Lion Shrine
* Old Coaly
* State College

Related|

* History
* Joe Paterno statue
* Nittany Lion Shrine
* Child sex abuse scandal
* Fraternity hazing scandal

* v
* t
* e

Penn State Nittany Lions football

Venues|

* Old Main lawn (until 1891)
* Beaver Field (1892–1908)
* New Beaver Field (1909–1959)
* Beaver Stadium (1960–present)

Bowls & rivalries|

* Bowl games
* Alabama
* Maryland
* Michigan
* Michigan State
* Minnesota: Governor's Victory Bell
* Ohio State
* Old Ironsides
* Pittsburgh
* Syracuse
* West Virginia

Culture & lore|

* Nittany Lion
* "Fight On, State"
* Penn State Blue Band
* Uplifting Athletes
* Joe Paterno statue
* Something for Joey
* 1982 Nebraska game
* Child sex abuse scandal
* 2016 Ohio State game
* Paterno
* White Out
* 2021 Illinois game

People|

* Head coaches
* All-Americans
* NFL draftees
* Statistical leaders

Seasons|

* 1881
* 1882–1886
* 1887
* 1888
* 1889
* 1890
* 1891
* 1892
* 1893
* 1894
* 1895
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* 1897
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* 1899
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* 1902
* 1903
* 1904
* 1905
* 1906
* 1907
* 1908
* 1909
* 1910
* 1911
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* 1913
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* 1916
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* 1918
* 1919
* 1920
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* 1923
* 1924
* 1925
* 1926
* 1927
* 1928
* 1929
* 1930
* 1931
* 1932
* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939
* 1940
* 1941
* 1942
* 1943
* 1944
* 1945
* 1946
* 1947
* 1948
* 1949
* 1950
* 1951
* 1952
* 1953
* 1954
* 1955
* 1956
* 1957
* 1958
* 1959
* 1960
* 1961
* 1962
* 1963
* 1964
* 1965
* 1966
* 1967
* 1968
* 1969
* 1970
* 1971
* 1972
* 1973
* 1974
* 1975
* 1976
* 1977
* 1978
* 1979
* 1980
* 1981
* 1982
* 1983
* 1984
* 1985
* 1986
* 1987
* 1988
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* 2011
* 2012
* 2013
* 2014
* 2015
* 2016
* 2017
* 2018
* 2019
* 2020
* 2021
* 2022
* 2023
* 2024
* 2025

National championship seasons in bold

* v
* t
* e

Penn State Nittany Lions basketball

Venues|

* Armory (1896–1929)
* Rec Hall (1929–1996)
* Bryce Jordan Center (1996–present)

Culture & lore|

* Legion of Blue
* Nittany Lion
* "Fight On, State"
* Penn State Blue Band

People|

* Head coaches
* Statistical leaders

Seasons|

* List of seasons
* 1896–97
* 1897–98
* 1898–99
* 1899–1900
* 1900–01
* 1901–02
* 1902–03
* 1903–04
* 1904–05
* 1905–06
* 1906–07
* 1907–08
* 1908–09
* 1909–10
* 1910–11
* 1911–12
* 1912–13
* 1913–14
* 1914–15
* 1915–16
* 1916–17
* 1917–18
* 1918–19
* 1919–20
* 1920–21
* 1921–22
* 1922–23
* 1923–24
* 1924–25
* 1925–26
* 1926–27
* 1927–28
* 1928–29
* 1929–30
* 1930–31
* 1931–32
* 1932–33
* 1933–34
* 1934–35
* 1935–36
* 1936–37
* 1937–38
* 1938–39
* 1939–40
* 1940–41
* 1941–42
* 1942–43
* 1943–44
* 1944–45
* 1945–46
* 1946–47
* 1947–48
* 1948–49
* 1949–50
* 1950–51
* 1951–52
* 1952–53
* 1953–54
* 1954–55
* 1955–56
* 1956–57
* 1957–58
* 1958–59
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* 1960–61
* 1961–62
* 1962–63
* 1963–64
* 1964–65
* 1965–66
* 1966–67
* 1967–68
* 1968–69
* 1969–70
* 1970–71
* 1971–72
* 1972–73
* 1973–74
* 1974–75
* 1975–76
* 1976–77
* 1977–78
* 1978–79
* 1979–80
* 1980–81
* 1981–82
* 1982–83
* 1983–84
* 1984–85
* 1985–86
* 1986–87
* 1987–88
* 1988–89
* 1989–90
* 1990–91
* 1991–92
* 1992–93
* 1993–94
* 1994–95
* 1995–96
* 1996–97
* 1997–98
* 1998–99
* 1999–2000
* 2000–01
* 2001–02
* 2002–03
* 2003–04
* 2004–05
* 2005–06
* 2006–07
* 2007–08
* 2008–09
* 2009–10
* 2010–11
* 2011–12
* 2012–13
* 2013–14
* 2014–15
* 2015–16
* 2016–17
* 2017–18
* 2018–19
* 2019–20
* 2020–21
* 2021–22
* 2022–23
* 2023–24
* 2024–25

NCAA Final Four appearance in italics

* v
* t
* e

Penn State Nittany Lions men's soccer

Venues|

* New Beaver Field (1911–1959)
* Beaver Stadium (1960–1971)
* Jeffrey Field (1972–present)

Culture & lore|

* Nittany Lion
* "Fight On, State"
* Penn State Blue Band
* Park Avenue Army
* 1950 Soccer Bowl
* 1951 Soccer Bowl
* Unbeaten Streak
* Trip to Iran

Seasons|

* 1926
* 1929
* 1933
* 1934
* 1935
* 1936
* 1937
* 1938
* 1939
* 1940
* 1949
* 1950
* 2014
* 2019
* 2020

Matches|

| Soccer Bowl|

* 1950
* 1951

|

* v
* t
* e

Mascots of the Big Ten Conference

* Oskee (Illinois)
* No mascot (Indiana)
* Herky the Hawk (Iowa)
* Testudo (Maryland)
* Maize (Michigan)
* Sparty (Michigan State)
* Goldy Gopher (Minnesota)
* Herbie Husker / Lil' Red (Nebraska)
* Willie the Wildcat (Northwestern)
* Brutus Buckeye (Ohio State)
* The Oregon Duck (Oregon)
* Nittany Lion (Penn State)
* Boilermaker Special / Purdue Pete (Purdue)
* Sir Henry, the Scarlet Knight (Rutgers)
* Joe and Josephine Bruin (UCLA)
* Traveler (USC)
* Harry the Husky (Washington)
* Bucky Badger (Wisconsin)

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