Blue White Illustrated

August 2013

Penn State Sports Magazine

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PARK LIFE steps Penn State has taken reflect its "steadfast and ongoing commitment to integrity and ethical conduct." Mitchell is currently examining the reorganization of the university's sports medicine program. The most potentially contentious part of O'Brien's presentation to the trustees was contained in a slide that read "Individual lawsuits DO NOT help us!" As reported by the CDT, the slide stated that lawsuits discouraged the NCAA from negotiating with Penn State. An antitrust lawsuit filed by Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett was recently thrown out by a federal judge, and Corbett's general counsel said earlier this month that the administration will not appeal the ruling. But a lawsuit by the Paterno family seeking to reverse the sanctions is moving forward. The Paternos have been joined by a group of former lettermen, coaches, faculty members and five members of the board of trustees. Four of those trustees – Anthony Lubrano, Adam Taliaferro, Ryan McCombie and Peter Khoury – were present at the meeting with O'Brien. A statement in support of the Paternos' suit recently gained signatures from an array of high-profile supporters, including Heisman Trophy winner John Cappelletti and All-Americans Ki-Jana Carter, D.J. Dozier and Michael Mauti. Mauti, who is now with the Minnesota Vikings, said he signed on "because I have faith in justice and due process. I spent the last year fighting for it in the media, and I'll continue to fight for it with the men who built the program we all love. We all want what's best for our program." So does O'Brien. He declined to comment after the trustees' meeting, telling reporters that he "was just here to say hello to some people" before stepping into a Penn State van. But if the Nittany Lions' second-year coach has anything to say publicly about Penn State's hopes of receiving a reprieve from the NCAA, he will soon have that opportunity. The Big Ten's annual preseason media days I are set to begin July 24. Dublin's famed Croke Park will play host to the meeting between Penn State and UCF. PSU to open '14 season in Ireland Etch it in stone, or into the Blarney Stone, if you will. It's official. The Nittany Lions are heading to Ireland. After months of planning and speculation, Croke Park and the Gaelic Athletic Association announced on July 14 that Penn State will play the University of Central Florida on Aug. 30, 2014. Dubbed the Croke Park Classic, the game will serve as the season opener for both teams. Kickoff will be at 1:30 p.m. local time (8:30 a.m. ET), and ESPN2 will carry it live. The news was officially revealed on the Croke Park pitch during halftime of the Leinster Senior Football Championship. Penn State athletic director Dave Joyner and UCF head coach George O'Leary were in attendance. "Our visit this weekend has only reinforced our reasons for wanting to come and play in Dublin," Joyner said. "Penn State fans are going to love their time here in late summer of 2014." Located in Dublin, Croke Park – pronounced Crow – has been at the heart of Irish sports for more than 100 years and will have a capacity of 69,000 for the game. While it's the first time that either Penn State or UCF has played outside of the United States, this will be the eighth American college football game to take place in Ireland. The most recent contest pitted Notre Dame against Navy in Dublin's Aviva Stadium last year. The Irish and Midshipmen are also the most recent American football teams to play in Croke Park, having done so in 1996. According to a news release, last season's game added $130 million to the Irish economy. "This is a hugely significant event for Croke Park and Ireland," said GAA director general Páraic Duffy. "We in the GAA are looking forward to hosting a competitive sporting occasion." Penn State head coach Bill O'Brien served as an assistant on O'Leary's staff at Georgia Tech from 1995-2001. Wide receivers coach Stan Hixon and offensive line coach Mac McWhorter also worked for O'Leary with the Yellow Jackets. "On a personal level, obviously Coach O'Brien and I are both of Irish heritage," O'Leary said, "so it means a great deal to both of us to be in a position to bring our teams here."

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