Lil' Red is one of two active

mascot A mascot is any human, animal, or object thought to bring luck, or anything used to represent a group with a common public identity, such as a school, sports team, university society, society, military unit, or brand, brand name. Mascots are als ...

s of the

University of Nebraska–Lincoln The University of Nebraska–Lincoln (Nebraska, NU, or UNL) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Lincoln, Nebraska, United States. Chartered in 1869 by the Nebraska Legislature as part of the M ...

and the

Nebraska Cornhuskers The Nebraska Cornhuskers (often abbreviated to Huskers) are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The university is a member of the Big Ten Conference and competes in NCAA Division I, fielding t ...

. He was created in 1993, initially intended to represent the school's volleyball team and appeal to younger fans. Lil' Red quickly became popular and his use was expanded across all sports. He is depicted as an inflatable farm boy wearing red overalls and a sideways hat, and is often seen with

Herbie Husker Herbie Husker is the oldest active mascot of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Herbie first appeared on the cover of a football media guide in 1974 and became the school's official mascot in 1977. Though primaril ...

Earlier mascots

The University of Nebraska used many unofficial mascots in its early decades, most often a variation of an anthropomorphic ear of corn named Cornhead Guy, Johnnie Husker, or Old Man Cornhusker. The earliest mascot to appear on the sideline (not just as a logo) was Corncob Man, a man in green overalls with an ear of corn for a head who debuted in 1955. Husky the Husker (a ten-foot-tall farmer) and Mr. Big Red (a man in a blazer commonly referred to as Harry Husker) gave way to

in 1974. Herbie became the school's first official mascot in 1977.

History

Lil' Red was created in 1993 after a statewide contest to find a counterpart for Herbie Husker to appear during simultaneous football, basketball, or volleyball games. Associate athletic director Barbara Hibner led the contest, hoping a second, more precocious mascot would appeal to younger fans. Lil' Red quickly became so popular that the university discontinued the use of Herbie in 1995, though he was later reinstated. The mascots are now frequently seen together across all sports. Nebraska says Herbie and Lil' Red are not intended to be related, but describes them as "best friends." The mascot is manufactured by

Omaha Omaha ( ) is the List of cities in Nebraska, most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's List of United S ...

-based Signs & Shapes International, Inc. The operator of the costume wears a belt with an attached air circulation system, which brings in over of outside air per minute. Due to the outfit's incredibly light weight, the larger-than-life mascot can run, dance, shake hands, and

crowd surf Crowd surfing is the process in which a person is passed overhead from person to person (often during a concert). The "crowd surfer" is passed above everyone's heads, with everyone's hands supporting the person's weight. Origins Iggy Pop leapt ...

. Lil' Red is frequently seen bouncing on his head, a stunt that requires the wearer to maneuver the costume into an upside-down position while inside.

Appearance

Lil' Red is a blond-haired, blue-eyed inflatable farm boy who stands over eight feet tall. He dresses in red overalls and a white undershirt with a sideways baseball cap. His appearance is essentially unchanged since he was created in 1993.

Awards and popular culture

Lil' Red won the national championship at the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates College athletics in the United States, student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, and Simon Fraser University, 1 in Canada. ...

National Mascot Competition in 1999. He received the "Golden Silly String Award" as an inductee into the

Mascot Hall of Fame The Mascot Hall of Fame was an interactive children's museum for sports mascots between 2018 and 2024. It was founded by David Raymond, who was the original Phillie Phanatic from 1978 to 1993. Each year (beginning in 2005), mascots are elected ...

in 2007. Lil' Red starred in a children's book, ''The Legend of Lil' Red'', written by Paul Rea and published by Husker Books in August 2008.

References

{{Big Ten Mascots Big Ten Conference mascots Nebraska Cornhuskers Mascots introduced in 1994 Child characters in advertising