What is a Nittany Lion anyway? What to know about Penn State’s mascot

On By Littum

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Penn State University is currently in a matchup with Notre Dame in the Orange Bowl, with the winner advancing to the national championship later this month.

And while the golden helmet Fighting Irish is a well-understood mascot, Penn State’s Nittany Lions are not so obvious. So what is a Nittany Lion?

The Nittany Lion is more than just a symbol of Penn State University; it’s a nod to the mountain lions that once roamed the Keystone State.

Known by many names across the country, a mountain lion is the same animal as a cougar, cougar, panther or catamount, depending on where you are.

The ferocious cat is so popular that dozens of high schools have a mascot named after it.

However, the Nittany part of Penn State’s mascot is unique to the school. It was taken from Mount Nittany, a mountain ridge near the campus. And the school legend holds that a student suggested the Nittany Lion mascot as a rival of Princeton University’s tiger.

The Nittany Lions went into halftime of the Orange Bowl with a 10-3 lead over Notre Dame.