Pete and Penny Bobbleheads Salute YSU Athletics

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Pete and Penny, the Youngstown State University Penguins mascots, are getting the bobblehead treatment.

The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in Milwaukee has created the items as part of its annual National Bobblehead Day celebration. The limited-edition YSU bobblehead statuettes will be available to purchase Jan. 7. Click HERE.

Each bobblehead is individually numbered, up to 2,023. They cost $35 apiece (plus an $8 flat-rate shipping charge per order).

Standing on a base that reads “Penguins” across the front with a backing featuring the Youngstown State logo, the Pete and Penny the Penguin bobbleheads are clad in red Youngstown State scarves and are giving a wave with one of their flippers.

Youngstown State is the only NCAA Division I program in the country with a Penguin for a mascot and the nickname Penguins for their athletic teams.

The Penguins nickname came to be on a cold evening on Jan. 30, 1933, when the men’s basketball team was playing at West Liberty State College. A spectator said the team looked like Penguins as they stomped the floor and swung their arms. Without the team having an official nickname, fans took a liking to the word, as did members of the team. The nickname was unanimously accepted by the student body that year and formally introduced in the campus newspaper Dec. 15, 1933.

“Bobbleheads are the ultimate way to show off your school pride, and we think this is the perfect pair of bobbleheads for Youngstown State alumni, students, faculty, staff and fans to show off their school spirit,” said Phil Sklar, co-founder and CEO of the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum in Milwaukee, and producer of the YSU bobbleheads and many others.

The hall of fame, which opened in 2019, produces customized bobbleheads for retail sale and for organizations, individuals and teams across the country.

Pictured at top: The Pete and Penny bobbleheads will soon be available for purchase.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.