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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 [1]
Related mascot(s) Herbie Husker
Official website Lil' Red
Hall of Fame 2007 [2]

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

He can be seen on the sidelines of a Nebraska football game at Memorial Stadium, at the Bob Devaney Sports Center during basketball games and at volleyball games. The mascot is currently produced by Signs and Shapes International, Inc. based in Omaha, Nebraska. The wearer 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. This is 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 two major awards. The first was the national championship at the NCAA National Mascot Competition in 1999. The second one was an induction into the 2007 Mascot Hall of Fame, which selected its winners by an online vote.[4]

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