Purdue Boilermakers “Boiler Up” Bobblehead Unveiled to Celebrate College Colors Day

This morning, to celebrate College Colors Day and in conjunction with the kickoff of the 2026 football season and start of the new school year, the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum unveiled an officially licensed, limited-edition Purdue Boilermakers “Boiler Up” Bobblehead. The bobblehead is part of our new College Slogan Series featuring nearly 30 of the best college slogans. The special edition bobblehead is being produced by the National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, an official licensee of Purdue University.

• The bobbleheads, which are expected to ship in February, are now available at this link.
• Each bobblehead will be individually numbered to only 2,026.
• The bobbleheads are $40 each, plus an $8 flat-rate shipping charge per order.
• Standing on a “Boiler Up” base in school colors, the Purdue Pete bobblehead is wearing his signature hard hat and carrying a large hammer, reminiscent of the type of large mallets used to mold steel by boilermakers.
• Coined in 1997 by Arnette Tiller – wife of former football coach Joe Tiller – the rallying cry “Boiler Up” was created to inject energy into games at Ross-Ade Stadium. Coach Tiller wanted a high-energy motto like “Cowboy Up” which he used at Wyoming. Arnette Tiller suggested “Boiler Up” for Purdue and the phrase quickly took off with fans, teams, and campus culture.
• The bobblehead is being released in conjunction with College Colors Day, which is celebrated annually on the Friday before Labor Day for the start of the new college football season and school year. The fall semester began on Monday, August 24th for undergraduate students. The Sun Devils open the 2026 football season on Friday, September 4th against Indiana State at Ross-Ade Stadium in West Lafayette, Indiana.
• “Boiler Up” evolved from the broader history of the Purdue Boilermakers nickname, which originated in 1891 after a dominant football win over Wabash College. After the convincing 44-0 victory, a local newspaper reporter referred to the dominant team as the “burly boiler makers from Purdue” because the school focused on mechanical trades and engineering. Purdue Pete started as an advertising logo for the University Bookstore in 1940. He was given a physical identity in 1956. He was designed to honor the tough Boilermaker industrial and engineering tradesmen who built massive steam engines.
• “We’re excited to unveil this ‘Boiler Up’ bobblehead as part of our College Slogan collection,” National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum co-founder and CEO Phil Sklar said. “As one of the most iconic and recognized college slogans, ‘Boiler Up’ gets Purdue fans fired up every time. This bobblehead is a must-have for Boilermaker fans everywhere!”
• The National Bobblehead Hall of Fame and Museum, which is located at 170 S. 1st St. in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, opened to the public on February 1st, 2019. The HOF and Museum also produces high quality, customized bobbleheads for retail sale as well as organizations, individuals, and teams across the country.