Nebraska alters Herbie Husker cartoon to avoid white supremacy link

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The Nebraska Cornhuskers gave its cartoon mascot an upgrade to make sure there were no associations between Herbie Husker and white supremacy.

In the original logo, Herbie Husker is making an "OK" gesture. Some over the last few years after connected the symbol to white supremacy – three straight fingers making a ‘W’ and the circle formed next to an extended finger make a ‘P.’

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Nebraska Huskers t-shirts featuring new cartoon mascot Herbie Husker, left, and old cartoon mascot, right, are displayed at the Husker Hounds store in Omaha, Neb., Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022. The University of Nebraska-Lincoln has made a change to its cartoon mascot Herbie Husker to eliminate confusion about the meaning of a hand gesture he makes that some people connect with white supremacy. (AP Photo/Eric Olson)

The cartoon from the 1970s was altered to Herbie making a No. 1 sign.

"The concern about the hand gesture was brought to our attention by our apparel provider and others, and we decided to move forward with a revised Herbie Husker logo," Nebraska Athletics said in a statement to the Associated Press. "The process of changing the logo began in 2020, and we updated our brand guidelines in July of 2021. The revised logo is now the only Herbie Husker mark available to licensees."

The Flatwater Free Press first reported Nebraska’s decision to change the logo.

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"That hand gesture could, in some circles, represent something that does not represent what Nebraska athletics is about," Nebraska’s athletic department’s licensing and branding director Lonna Henrichs told