Think you have what it takes to be the Symbol of Our Best and the next mascot for the Penn State Nittany Lions? Think you look good in a fursuit, scarf, Nike trainers, and sometimes overalls? Did you watch the Maryland blowout and think “Yeah, I can do all of those one-armed push-ups every time we score, easy peasy?”

Well, if you answered “yes” to any of those questions (hopefully the push-up question), you’re in luck. There will be an info session on becoming the next Nittany Lion at 7 p.m. Monday, October 7 at the Ashenfelter Multi-Sport Facility.

To be the next Nittany Lion, you must be a current Penn State student with at least one year left. There are no height, weight, or gender restrictions to be Penn State’s beloved mascot. No matter who you are, if you’ve ever dreamt about representing your university as the symbol of our best, your chance is now.

The Nittany Lion mascot was born in 1904 when then-Penn State senior H.D. “Joe” Mason created the original mascot costume while attending a Penn State-Princeton baseball game and noting Penn State’s lack of a mascot compared to Princeton’s famous Bengal tiger mascot.

Since then, the Nittany Lion has become one of the most recognizable mascots in sports. In fact, the Lion was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in June, after first being elected in 2017.

Applications are due November 18, and the target tryout date is December 8. The tryout process is composed of three phases: application, interview, and audition.

For more information about info sessions and to get added to the contact list, email either the Nittany Lion or Curtis White.