▁for ▁its ▁athlet ic ▁teams . ▁Y SU ' s ▁mas c ots ▁are ▁P ete ▁and ▁Pen ny , ▁two ▁p engu ins ▁dressed ▁in ▁scar fs ▁and ▁stock ing ▁caps . ▁There ▁are ▁two ▁accounts ▁of ▁how ▁the ▁" P engu ins " ▁nick name ▁came ▁to ▁be . ▁Both ▁stories ▁come ▁from ▁the ▁same ▁cold ▁evening ▁on ▁Jan . ▁ 3 0 , ▁ 1 9 3 3 , ▁when ▁the ▁men ' s ▁basketball ▁team ▁was ▁playing ▁at ▁West ▁Liber ty ▁State . ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁account ▁is ▁that ▁a ▁spect ator ▁said ▁the ▁team ▁looked ▁like ▁P engu ins ▁as ▁they ▁st om ped ▁the ▁floor ▁and ▁sw ung ▁their ▁arms . ▁Without ▁the ▁team ▁having ▁an ▁official ▁nick name , ▁fans ▁took ▁a ▁lik ing ▁to ▁the ▁word . ▁A ▁second ▁account ▁states ▁that , ▁on ▁the ▁way ▁to ▁West ▁Liber ty ▁State ▁with ▁up ▁to ▁two ▁feet ▁of ▁snow ▁on ▁the ▁roads , ▁passengers ▁in ▁Ben nett ▁Kun icki ' s ▁car ▁were ▁discuss ing ▁possible ▁nick names . ▁" P engu ins " ▁was ▁brought ▁up ▁and ▁was ▁well ▁received ▁by ▁everyone ▁in ▁the ▁car . ▁The ▁nick name ▁was ▁mentioned ▁to ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁team ▁at ▁the ▁g ym ▁that ▁evening , ▁and ▁they ▁thought ▁it ▁was ▁perfect . ▁ ▁The ▁nick name ▁was ▁un anim ously ▁accepted ▁by ▁the ▁student ▁body ▁that ▁year ▁without ▁a ▁formal ▁poll . ▁The ▁nick name ▁was ▁formally ▁introduced ▁in ▁The ▁J amb ar , ▁the ▁campus ▁newspaper