And school legend holds that a student suggested the Nittany Lion mascot as a rival to Princeton University’s tiger. The Nittany Lions went in to halftime of the Orange Bowl up 10-3 on Notre Dame.

Penn State’s longtime mascot is a common mountain lion, the kind that roamed the mountains near the school’s State College campus until the late 19th century.One of the Nittany Lions ...

The idea for the Nittany Lion mascot was formed in April 1904 and has been part of Penn State’s identity since then, Rachel Pell, vice president for strategic communications, said in the release.

The original mascot costume resembled an African lion, and 1921 was the first time a student wore it. After that student's graduation in 1923, the mascot languished for four years.

And school legend holds that a student suggested the Nittany Lion mascot as a rival to Princeton University’s tiger. The Nittany Lions went in to halftime of the Orange Bowl up 10-3 on Notre Dame.