Lil' Red

Lil' Red
Lil' Red
University	University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Conference	Big Ten
Description	WalkAround Inflatable Mascot
Origin of name	A state wide contest in 1993
First seen	1994
Related mascot(s)	Herbie Husker
Hall of Fame	2007

Lil' Red is one of two mascots representing University of Nebraska–Lincoln's athletic teams. Lil' Red is the newest mascot, having been created for the 1993 season after a statewide contest run for that purpose. Associate athletic director Dr. Barbara Hibner was the driving force behind Lil' Red.^[3]

Lil' Red can be seen on the sideline at Nebraska college football games at Memorial Stadium, along with other university sporting venues such as Pinnacle Bank Arena during basketball games and at the Bob Devaney Sports Center for volleyball matches. The mascot is currently produced by Signs & Shapes International, Inc. based in Omaha, Nebraska. The operator of the costume wears a "PowerBelt," a belt with an air circulation system, which brings in over 100 cubic feet (2.8 m³) of fresh outside air per minute, enough fresh air to accommodate roughly 1,000 people. Due to the mascot's incredibly light weight, the larger-than-life mascot can run, dance, crowd surf and shake hands.

Since its installment, Lil' Red has won the national championship at the NCAA National Mascot Competition in 1999, and was inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame in 2007, which selected its winners by an online vote.^[4]

The costume was designed to appeal to children and has become a recognizable piece of Nebraska athletics culture.

Origin

Lil' Red was designed in a state–wide contest that was organized by Dr. Barbara Hibner to find a mascot design that could mainly represent the school's volleyball team. Since Lil Red's introduction, he has come to represent other sporting events alongside Herbie Husker, such as football.

References

^ Jablonski, Sidney (2003). "Legends of the mighty Husker mascots". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
^ "Lil' Red". Hall of Famers. Mascot Hall of Fame. 2007. Retrieved 2008-05-02.
^ "Barbara Hibner". Huskers.com.
^ http://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=462&SPID=41&DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=218533

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[1] Jablonski, Sidney (2003). "Legends of the mighty Husker mascots". Omaha World-Herald. Retrieved 2008-05-02.

[2] "Lil' Red". Hall of Famers. Mascot Hall of Fame. 2007. Retrieved 2008-05-02.

[3] "Barbara Hibner". Huskers.com.

[4] ttp://www.huskers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=462&SPID=41&DB_OEM_ID=100&ATCLID=218533

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v t e Nebraska Cornhuskers football
Venues	Lincoln Park (1891–1893) Antelope Field (1894–1908) Nebraska Field (1909–1922) Memorial Stadium (1923–present)
Bowls and rivalries	Bowl games Colorado (Buffalo Head) Iowa (Heroes Trophy) Kansas Kansas State Miami (FL) Minnesota ($5 Bits of Broken Chair) Missouri (Victory Bell) Oklahoma Wisconsin (Freedom Trophy)
Culture and lore	History Herbie Husker Lil' Red "Dear Old Nebraska U" "Hail Varsity" Cornhusker Marching Band Blackshirts Origin of "Cornhuskers" nickname 1939 Kansas State game Game of the Century (1971 Oklahoma game) Fumblerooski 1982 Penn State game Flea Kicker Black 41 Flash Reverse Pass 2009 Big 12 Championship Game Yes Man
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National championship seasons in bold

v t e Nebraska Cornhuskers men's basketball
Venues	Grant Memorial Hall (1896–1926, 1924–1926) State Fairgrounds Coliseum (1921–1923) Nebraska Coliseum (1926–1976) Bob Devaney Sports Center (1976–2013) Pinnacle Bank Arena (2013–present)
Rivalries	Creighton
Culture & lore	Herbie Husker Lil' Red "Dear Old Nebraska U" "Hail Varsity"
People	Head coaches NBA players Statistical leaders
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