There's still time to support the Nittany Lion's quest for the hall of fame

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Nittany Lion is on a quest for enshrinement in the Mascot Hall of Fame, and fans can help lead the way.

Announced Oct. 21 as a nominee for 2017 induction class, the mascot has been leading in an online vote at http://mascothalloffame.com/.

Coming to Whiting, Indiana, in 2018, the Mascot Hall of Fame has been inducting iconic professional and collegiate mascots for years but will soon have a 25,000-square-foot facility near Chicago. At a ground-breaking celebration Oct. 21, organizers announced the Nittany Lion, Hairy Dawg (Georgia), Stuff (Orlando Magic), Benny the Bull (Chicago Bulls), Tommy Hawk (Chicago Blackhawks) and Sluggerrr (Kansas City Royals) as the 2017 nomination class.

ICYMI: @Emperoroffun at the #Mascot Hall of Fame praised your Lion and Curtis White of @PSUcheerleading for the nomination. #VoteLion pic.twitter.com/VDQ3HCgw7b

— The Nittany Lion (@NittanyLion) October 24, 2016

The Nittany Lion and Penn State cheerleading coach Curtis White appeared from the All-Sports Museum on a live, virtual news conference on the day of the announcement, accepting the nomination from Mascot Hall of Fame founder David Raymond.  

“A lot of fans look at our lion as a symbol of the University, and they get really excited when they see him,” said White. “He’s our celebrity on campus. And he does a lot of great things in the community, too. It’s a great honor.”

The online voting will continue until Jan. 2. The induction decision will then move to the roughly 150 hall of fame donors who are designated as lifetime voting members and an executive committee comprised of the likes of professional sports executives, professional mascot performers, marketing and branding professionals, sports reporters, broadcasters and professional athletes. Mascot characters that receive a majority of the three voting blocs will be inducted into the Mascot Hall of Fame.

Follow the #VoteLion adventure at https://twitter.com/nittanylion.