May 4, 2026
Aidan Kauth-Fisher has spent his college years doing something only a select few get the opportunity to do. For the past three years, the May 2026 nutrition, exercise and health science grad from Omaha has performed in front of Husker Nation as Lil’ Red. Before he heads to the University of Nebraska Medical Center to continue his education toward becoming a physician assistant, he shared the work that goes into being a mascot, his favorite memories and a family connection that makes it even more special.
Talk about the process of joining the Spirit Squad as a mascot.
To start out, I did, in fact, try out for the cheer team. At the time, there were only about four guys on the cheer team, and my brother was Herbie Husker when I was going into my freshman year. He told me that I should try out, so I gave it a try! I did, unfortunately, not make the team, which makes sense because I really had no experience in the sport. However, everything worked out perfectly.
After getting denied from the cheer team, I was a little hesitant on if I wanted to try again the next year, but I still had a feeling that I wanted to do something with the Nebraska Spirit Squad. Eventually, my brother, Brendan, and one of his best friends, Ben, convinced me to give the mascotting thing a try. I fell in love with it instantly. My tryout process was nothing crazy. I got in my suit and was taught a couple of things, and then I was taken up to the third floor to interact with some people from the marketing department. I had an absolute blast. I was only trying out for Lil' Red because my brother didn't think I had the height or body composition to be Herbie. I love being Lil' Red because I basically act like him when I am out of the suit, so when I am playing as him, my actions just get amplified. He is definitely my favorite character to play because he is so fun and childish, it really does get the best reactions from fans.
However, there were a couple of times that I had the opportunity to be Herbie. I went to the men’s basketball tournament in Kansas when they won the whole thing, beating Kansas State in the championship game. And there have been a lot of other appearances that I have been able to do as either Herbie or Lil’ Red.
Your brother Brendan Kauth-Fisher ('23) was Herbie Husker when he was an undergraduate. What did he have to say about his time as a mascot, and did it impact your desire to be part of the Spirit Squad?
My brother was not the most social or outgoing when he was in high school, so the day he came back from college and told us that he had gotten a position to be Herbie Husker, I was starstruck. He was recruited by two of his friends who were in the ROTC program with him. And from that day on, he continued to change into a different person. He would always tell me all the cool things that he was able to do, and I was always jealous. Come to find out that I would eventually get the same opportunities as he would.
Can you talk about the work that goes into training, performing during games and balancing all of that with schoolwork and a social life?
Most people have absolutely no idea the amount of work that we as a team put into the mascot program behind the scenes. The public only sees when we are outside in the view of the public. The short appearances range from 30 minutes to 2 hours. They see the mascots at games and other appearances across campus. However, what they don’t see is the amount of time that we take to practice and work as a team to create the best fan experience that we can. It takes a lot of time and a lot more energy to always be “on” for the Nebraska fans. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I think being a mascot for Nebraska is one of the best places you could be a mascot. The energy and support that the fans have here is absolutely unmatched. The mascots have mandatory lift twice a week, because we need to be strong and in shape in order to always perform the best we can. On top of that, we lift on our own because our physical shape is very important to us. We spend hours working on props and putting together skits that we can show to the fans, as well as creating content on our social media pages. Balancing all of that with school is not impossible, but it is something that takes extreme focus and dedication. We have a great support system in our team that allows us to get our best work done and do well in school.
What has been your favorite memory performing as Lil’ Red? Is there anything you’ll miss most?
I truly could not tell you a specific favorite memory that I have because I have gotten to experience some of the most amazing things and people over the last three years. I will say that one of the greatest feelings in the world is running onto the field of Memorial Stadium during pregame, hearing the roar of the fans. The adrenaline that pumps through your system is like nothing I have experienced before, and it is something that I am going to miss a lot. But I think that I will miss the ability to interact with fans of all ages and being the one to bring the Husker spirit to life. It is truly amazing some of the reactions that the mascots get, and it is definitely one of the more heartwarming things I have gotten to do.
Is there anything people may be surprised to know about being a mascot at Nebraska?
Something that I think people would be surprised about being a mascot is that, for me, when I am taking pictures with fans, I always smile. No matter how long I have been in suit or how tired I am, I always find a way to smile. It brings me so much joy to take pictures with fans, and it’s a reaction that really never goes away.