Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1525333
1 8 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 4 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M For nearly a decade, Penn State legend Matt Millen has served as a color com- mentator on Big Ten Network broad- casts. A former All-America defensive tackle and four-time Super Bowl cham- pion, Millen has been with the confer- ence's television outlet since 2015. He was not in the booth when the league expanded in 2014 with the addition of Rutgers and Maryland, but he will be front and center when the 2024 sea- son kicks off with an 18-team member- ship that includes newcomers Oregon, Washington, USC and UCLA. If he has his way, he might still be calling games when the inevitable next round of ex- pansion takes place. "It's just indicative of where we're at, and it's going to continue to change," Millen told BWI at Big Ten Media Days in late July. "This isn't the end of it. I said this maybe 10 years ago, we're go- ing to eventually get to the NFL model. Especially with the NIL stuff coming in, you're just going to need to have a salary cap in place, and you're going to have two main conferences. That's the best way to run it, and so that's where they'll end up eventually. This is a part of the change, but we're not done." Many share Millen's sentiments. The House vs. NCAA settlement is expected to dramatically reshape college athlet- ics, ushering in a per-school spending limit while erasing scholarship maxi- mums. Many observers view it as the next step toward further consolidation of the Power Four conferences. None of that will happen in time to af- fect the 2024 season, though, so we asked Millen about the slate of games coming up in the weeks ahead. The veteran com- mentator offered his thoughts on Penn State and the conference at large. BWI: What are you most looking for- ward to about being back in the booth this season? MATT MILLEN: "Just the games, you know? I just enjoy seeing new talent come up. I enjoy watching kids getting better. You can see it from year to year. "Take [Rutgers coach] Greg Schiano, for example. He's recruiting in the Le- high Valley area [where Millen lives]. There are some kids that I know, that you've read about in high school, and then you just watch them, and pretty soon they're turning into NFL pros- pects. It's kind of fun for me to watch that, and I'm fortunate enough to be able to see the whole Big Ten. "And now, with the conference ex- panding, you get to see even more stuff. A lot of times, a game will be on, and I'll say, yeah that kid who played for Wis- consin, he did this [in high school]. It's just kind of fun for me." BWI: What are your initial thoughts on what Penn State returns and its out- look in 2024? MILLEN: "I think their biggest problem is going to be their offensive line. They have to rebuild the offensive line again. They have good skill sets on offense and on defense. They have some pass rushers. [Junior defensive end Ab- dul Carter] is a good player. There are some good players there, but they're just going to have to get that offen- sive line up to par fast. If that happens, they'll be successful. "Inevitably, they're always going to be judged by one or two games on their schedule. It's traditionally been Ohio State and Michigan. They won't have that all the time. It'll be in a cycle." BWI: What are you most looking for- ward to in the Big Ten this year? MILLEN: "Well, I like to watch the up-and-comers. I think Rutgers is an interesting team. I think Greg's a really good coach. He's going to spoil some- body's season. And then I like his staff, too. It always ends up happening, I end up liking somebody's head coaches so much that I start watching them all the time, right? You just want to see them do well. That's the excitement for me in the season." ■ Sitting Down With Big Ten Network Analyst Matt Millen Millen has been calling games for the Big Ten Network since 2015. He was a first-team All-America defensive tackle with the Nittany Lions in 1978 and later spent 12 seasons in the NFL, winning Super Bowl rings with Washington, San Francisco and Oakland/Los Angeles. PHOTO COURTESY FOX SPORTS