Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1472993
A U G U S T 2 0 2 2 11 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M There was speculation that Notre Dame could be interested in finally joining forces with the league now that its football independence is looking increasingly risky. What's more, it was not entirely clear whether the Big Ten was finished swallowing up Pac-12 teams. There's no other media market in the Pac-12 footprint that's as lucrative as Los Angeles, but the Bay Area, Portland and Seattle would appear to be enticing targets if the league were to grow beyond the 16-school membership it will boast once USC and UCLA join. At Penn State, the news of the Big Ten's impending expan- sion was greeted warmly by coaches in the revenue-produc- ing sports and Olympic sports alike. Head football coach James Franklin called it "another big step in the ever-changing college football landscape." "We embrace the change," Franklin said. "USC and UCLA are two institutions with a longstanding tradition of academic and athletic success and will be tremendous additions to our conference." Basketball coaches Micah Shrewsberry and Carolyn Kieger were likewise enthused. In UCLA, Shrewsberry's men's hoops team will be facing an opponent whose history includes one of the great college sports dynasties of all time, a famous run stretching into the mid-1970s under coach John Wooden in which they won 10 NCAA Tournament titles in a 12-year span. Wooden stepped down after the 1974-75 season, but the Bruins have continued to be a national presence, making their most recent Final Four appearance in 2021. "UCLA and USC are not only two institutions whose values align with the Big Ten, but whose basketball traditions will be great additions to bolster the Big Ten as the nation's premier basketball conference," Shrewsberry said. Kieger's women's basketball squad will find itself matched up with a Bruins program that has been to the Sweet 16 in four of the past six years. "These two schools bring historical success and tradition in women's basketball," Kieger said. "I'm very excited for the future of our league." Shrewsberry and Kieger will certainly hope to fare better in their visits to Los Angeles than Paterno did in 1966. It bears mentioning, however, that the young Nittany Lion football coach did eventually avenge that infuriating loss. Two years later, Penn State returned to LA and stifled the Bruins 21-6. After the victory came another long flight home, but this time the trip ended with the Blue Band and several thousand students gathered at Rec Hall to greet the team buses at 5 o'clock Sunday morning. The two football programs haven't met in the decades since that game. Penn State has a lot more history with USC than with UCLA, having faced the Trojans 10 times, most recently in the 2017 Rose Bowl, a 52-49 comeback victory by the home- town favorites. There's more history to be made, though — with both of those West Coast schools and maybe some others. ■ WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: PENN STATERS ON BIG TEN EXPANSION Neeli Bendapudi, university president "We welcome USC and UCLA with open arms as likeminded institutions that are as committed to high GPAs and graduation rates as they are to on-field excellence. It was an easy decision that will build upon our con- ference's rich heritage." Patrick Kraft, athletics director "Penn State University is a proud member of the Big Ten Conference, and we welcome the addition of two world-class universities to our family." Clarisa Crowell, softball coach "This is an exciting day for Big Ten softball with the addition of UCLA. Its strong softball tradition will continue to elevate the conference. From an overall conference perspective, the academic excellence at both UCLA and USC are in perfect alignment with the Big Ten." Erica Dambach, women's soccer coach "From a women's soccer standpoint, these are two of the top programs nationally and will only help to solidify the Big Ten as the premier confer- ence in the country." Katie Schumacher-Cawley, women's volleyball coach "This is an exciting time for Big Ten women's volleyball as we add two outstanding programs in UCLA and USC to what is already the best vol- leyball conference in the country. Their athletic success combined with their reputations as prestigious academic institutions make both schools a perfect fit for the Big Ten." Penn State Football Series History vs. USC (Trojans lead 6-4) SEASON RESULT LOCATION 2016 USC 52, Penn State 49 Pasadena, Calif. (Rose Bowl) 2008 USC 38, Penn State 24 Pasadena, Calif. (Rose Bowl) 2000 USC 29, Penn State 5 East Rutherford, N.J. (Kickoff Classic) 1996 Penn State 24, USC 7 East Rutherford, N.J. (Kickoff Classic) 1994 Penn State 38, USC 14 State College 1993 Penn State 21, USC 20 State College 1991 USC 21, Penn State 10 Los Angeles 1990 USC 19, Penn State 14 Los Angeles 1981 Penn State 26, USC 10 Tempe, Ariz. (Fiesta Bowl) 1922 USC 14, Penn State 3 Pasadena, Calif. (Rose Bowl) Penn State Football Series History vs. UCLA (Bruins lead 4-2) SEASON RESULT LOCATION 1968 Penn State 21, UCLA 6 Los Angeles 1967 UCLA 17, Penn State 15 State College 1966 UCLA 49, Penn State 11 Los Angeles 1965 UCLA 24, Penn State 22 State College 1964 UCLA 21, Penn State 14 Los Angeles 1963 Penn State 17, UCLA 14 State College