Penn State mascot suspended until next year

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. -- The Penn State senior who plays the Nittany Lion mascot will miss the Rose Bowl after being suspended for violating team rules.

The school suspended James Sheep, of Chambersburg, Pa., on Thursday, a week and a half after being charged with DUI.

The university says Sheep will not participate in school events or attend the Rose Bowl game or events. Penn State cheerleading coach Curt White says Sheep will resume his duties in 2009.

University police say Sheep was pulled over on campus around 3:15 a.m. on Nov. 22, hours before Penn State's game against Michigan State. He was later charged with DUI and summary traffic violations.

The school says another member of the cheerleading squad will serve as mascot until Sheep returns.