Penn State Nittany Lions football under Joe Paterno (as an Independent)
| Penn State Nittany Lions football | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| First season | 1887 | ||
| Athletic director | Sandy Barbour | ||
| Head coach |
James Franklin 4th year, 25–15 (.625) |
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| Other staff |
Joe Moorhead (OC) Brent Pry (DC) |
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| Stadium | Beaver Stadium | ||
| Seating capacity | 106,572 | ||
| Field surface | Grass | ||
| Location | State College, Pennsylvania | ||
| Conference | Big Ten | ||
| Division | Leaders (2011–2013) East (2014–present) |
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| Past conferences |
Independent (1887–1890,1892–1992) PIFA (1891) |
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| All-time record | 867–384–42 (.687) | ||
| Bowl record | 28–17–2 (.617) | ||
| Claimed nat'l titles | 2 (1982, 1986) | ||
| Unclaimed nat'l titles | 14 (1911, 1912, 1887, 1894, 1909, 1920, 1921, 1947, 1968, 1969, 1973, 1977, 1981, 1994) | ||
| Conference titles | 5 (PIFA 1891, Big Ten 1994, 2005, 2008, 2016) | ||
| Division titles | 2 (2011, 2016) | ||
| Heisman winners | 1 | ||
| Consensus All-Americans | 39 | ||
| Colors | Blue and White |
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| Fight song | Fight On, State | ||
| Mascot | Nittany Lion | ||
| Marching band | Penn State Blue Band | ||
| Rivals |
Pittsburgh Panthers (rivalry) Ohio State Buckeyes (rivalry) Michigan State Spartans (rivalry) West Virginia Mountaineers (rivalry) Alabama Crimson Tide (rivalry) Maryland Terrapins (rivalry) Syracuse Orange (rivalry) |
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| Website | www.gopsusports.com | ||
The Penn State Nittany Lions team represents the Pennsylvania State University in college football. The Nittany Lions compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference, which they joined in 1993 after playing as an Independent from their founding through 1992.
Established in 1887, the Nittany Lions have achieved numerous on-field successes, the most notable of which include two consensus national championships (1982 and 1986), four Big Ten Conference Championships (in 1994, 2005, 2008, and 2016), and 46 appearances in college bowl games, with a postseason bowl record of 28–16–2. The team is also #8 all-time in total-wins, one game behind Oklahoma and Alabama. The Nittany Lions play their home games at Beaver Stadium, located on-campus in University Park, Pennsylvania. With an official seating capacity of 106,572, Beaver Stadium is the second-largest stadium in the western hemisphere, behind only Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The team is currently coached by James Franklin.
The first recorded game occurred on November 12, 1881, when Penn State traveled to Lewisburg, Pennsylvania to play Bucknell, known until 1886 as the University of Lewisburg. Penn State won 9–0, which was nine goals to none. At the time, this was really a game of "American rugby." The father of American football, Walter Camp, did not develop the "scrimmage", the "first down" and the "gridiron" (yard markings) until 1882. Although this game was reported in two State College newspapers and the Mirror (University of Lewisburg campus newspaper), Bucknell denies that this game ever happened. Penn State did not field teams from 1882 through 1886.
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