enn State loves New York.
Actually, in many ways, Penn
State is New York.
The university has more than
600,000 living alumni, and of that to-
tal, an estimated 190,000 live within a
125-mile radius of Yankee Stadium. In
other words, more than a quarter of
Penn State's living alumni will be within
a two- to three-hour drive of New York
when Penn State takes on Boston Col-
lege in the Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 27.
And that figure doesn't take into ac-
count the many fans with no formal ties
to the university, or the families of Nit-
tany Lion players.
With that in mind, the reactions of
Penn State fans, players, coaches and
specifically the face of the program –
James Franklin – should have come as
no surprise when the official announce-
ment was made pairing the Nittany Li-
ons and Eagles.
They're pumped.
"I think the location is great, especial-
ly after starting out the season in Ire-
land," Franklin said. "That's going to
make it affordable and a great opportu-
nity for our fans to travel and see that
game."
In a kickoff news conference held at
Yankee Stadium a few days after the an-
nouncement, Franklin and BC head
coach Steve Addazio were joined by
their athletic directors and bowl reps in
a media event aimed at generating in-
terest in the game. They probably could
have saved themselves the trouble.
By that afternoon – just two days af-
ter the matchup had been announced –
J U D G M E N T C A L L
BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY
Nittany Lions eager to take the stage in NYC
P
