Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/847744
T H E M O N T H I N . . . Until recently, the disguised blessing of a September schedule made mostly of lightweight opponents was that Big Ten fans pretty much knew they could attend the mild-weather games and return home at a decent hour. That applied even for remote campuses such as Penn State, a drive of between one and three hours for a substantial number of those actually attending events there. No longer. Now that the Big Ten Network and its Fox partner have become more comfortable in their production skins after a decade of presenting games, they are beginning to chal- lenge the big networks in prime time. That's how you get five "guarantee games" against minor-conference opponents kicking after dark in the 2017 season. That's how you get Arkansas State @ Nebraska starting at 8 EDT. And Georgia State @ Penn State at 7:30. ... You will hear that these give the schools involved more exposure and spread out the schedule for maximum visibility. To me, it's just another step in persuading fans to stay home. DAVID JONES PENNLIVE.COM Another full offseason in Joe Moorhead's system essentially ensures that Penn State's offense will remain one of the best in the Big Ten, if not one of the best in the country. It makes sense to assume an even stronger unit, in fact, due to this experience. Since the offense was pretty dynamic in 2016, wouldn't it be even more explosive and consistent with an increased grasp of the scheme? Yes, that makes sense. PAUL MYERBERG USA TODAY Moorhead's day as a head coach will come soon enough. Prior to the Rose Bowl, Moorhead said any big career moves will be predicated on factors that are per- sonal, professional and financial. All three must align. For now, Moorhead and his family look at home at Penn State and in State College. He has a job that he loves, is good at and for which he is well-paid. And he has a boss he likes and who likes him — whether it's a Saturday in October in Beaver Stadium or a Sat- urday in early June coaching high schoolers. Both, lest we forget, are equally im- portant. MIKE POORMAN STATECOLLEGE.COM Basically, outside of UConn women's hoops, Penn State wrestling is the most domi- nant collegiate sports program in the country – just like Iowa used to be. Also like women's hoops is the fact that there are only a handful of schools every year with a shot at winning the title in wrestling. Yes, Iowa is still in that conversation, but only on a rotational, o;-hand basis with the likes of Ohio State and Oklahoma State. When Penn State doesn't win, it's still an upset. Honestly, as long as Cael Sanderson is at Penn State, I don't see this trend changing. His status, his location and now his ever-improving résumé allow him to essentially have pick of the litter in recruiting – both nationally and in his own talent-heavy state. Like Gable, Sanderson doesn't need to do much to sell himself or his program to kids. It's all right there, fresh in their minds, as the only real empire they know. J.P. SCOTT SBNATION.COM It's exciting to see where the university is at right now. What can you say about James Franklin and his sta; and the job that they've done? To think about where we were in 2011 and where it is now, everybody expected it to crumble. MATT McGLOIN, former PSU quarterback, to PennLive.com O P I N I O N S Q U O T E S nouncement will be televised live, and viewing information will be available as the date draws near. STUDENT TICKETS SELL OUT The Penn State student section sold out more than 21,000 tickets in only 89 minutes in June. The senior class sold out in 20 minutes, the junior class in 10 and the freshman class in 15. "To sell out 21,000 tickets in such a short period of time shows that we have an awesome student section," coach James Franklin said. "It is a true advantage to have those stu- dents going crazy in the south end zone and is one of the things that makes Penn State so special. We can't wait to get our family back together in Beaver Stadium this fall." Across the entire stadium, more than 8,000 new season tickets have been sold for the 2017 campaign. GIFT BOOSTS LASCH UPGRADE Ira Lu- bert, a 1973 Penn State graduate and chair of the board of trustees, has com- mitted a $5 million gi< to bene:t nu- merous areas across the university, including $1.75 for renovations to the Lasch Building. The Nittany Lions' football headquarters are undergoing a major faceli< that has included a new locker room and improvements to the lobby and auditorium. But while taking part in the Coaches Caravan this past spring, Franklin estimated that 60 per- cent of the building has not been af- fected by the renovations so far. 2 LIONS ON LOTT WATCH LIST Senior safety Marcus Allen and senior line- backer Jason Cabinda are among the 42 candidates on the preseason watch list for the 14th annual Lott IMPACT Tro- phy, as announced by the Paci:c Club IMPACT Foundation. The Lott IMPACT Trophy honors the top defensive player in college football who makes the biggest impact for his team, both on and o; the :eld. The award is given to a stu- dent-athlete who represents the quali- ties embodied by Hall of Famer Ronnie Lott: integrity, maturity, performance, academics, community and tenacity. Penn State's Carl Nassib won the award in 2015. ■