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Thousands of people flocked to downtown State College on a sunny Saturday afternoon to celebrate Pride and the LGBTQ community.



Presented by Centre LGBTQA Support Network, Downtown State College Improvement District and State College Borough, the third annual State College Pride <a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/articles/community/parade-festival-among-state-college-pride-events/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">included</a> a parade of colorful floats and marchers through town and a festival in Sidney Friedman Park, among other events throughout the weekend.



State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, D-Philadelphia, served as grand marshal of the parade and festival. A frequent visitor to Centre County, Kenyatta is the first openly LGBTQ person of color elected to the Pennsylvania General Assembly.



He called 2023 &#8220;probably the most important year for Pride in a really long time,&#8221; noting a vocal anti-LGBTQ contingent and legislation in a number of states, particularly related to transgender individuals. 



&#8220;In this moment, in this Pride year, what we are doing right now, showing up with joy in our hearts, showing up for and with each other in real community, that is critical right now,&#8221; Kenyatta said. &#8220;Because this is actually what our communities look like. This is actually where most people are&#8230; Do not believe the noise and the nonsense that most people are as hateful and vitriolic as some of the politicians who unfortunately get elected&#8230;. For Pride, it’s really critical for us as a community that we recognize our joy does not exist in contrast to their hatred.&#8221;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-kenyatta-lane-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424953"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, State College Pride grand marshal, and Judge Timika Lane lead the 2023 Pride parade. Photo by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com</figcaption></figure>



Pennsylvania, Kenyatta said, should aspire to be the best place to live, raise a family and retire for everyone, including LGBTQ people.



&#8220;We deserve to be happy, to be joyous, to be just who you are every single day, no matter what they’re talking about, no matter what they’re doing,&#8221; he said. &#8220;You just be who the hell you are.&#8221;



State College Mayor Ezra Nanes acknowledged that some in attendance may be feeling scared, worried or uncertain because of events nationally. 



&#8220;It’s OK to feel that,&#8221; Nanes said. &#8220;I want you to know that me, Ezra Nanes, my family, the Borough of State College, we are here for you. We will always be here for you. We’re going to keep building on the amazing work that you’ve already done, that we’ve already done together.&#8221;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-3-1024x751.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424937"/></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-8-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424942"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photos by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com</figcaption></figure>



Nanes issued a proclamation last week declaring June as Pride Month in the borough, and as the parent of an LGBTQ child, he called Pride &#8220;not just principle,&#8221; but also personal.



&#8220;One of the greatest joys in life, whether you’re a parent or a sibling or just an adult with a child in your life that matters, is supporting that child in discovering who they are,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I think that’s a really important principle of what Pride is, that we all believe in helping people discover themselves, not telling them who they should be.&#8221;



State Rep. Paul Takac, D-Lemont, said Pride is also personal for him and his family and called it a &#8220;joyful occasion.



&#8220;This represents the absolute best of what State College is and can be,&#8221; he said. &#8220;This sets the standard for what every day should be like. You are not only seen, you are not only accepted, but you should be celebrated and you should be loved. If we could bottle today and make every day like that, wouldn’t this be a better world, a better place to be?&#8221;



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<figcaption class="blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption">Scenes from the 2023 Pride parade in downtown State College. Photos by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com</figcaption></figure>



Timika Lane, a Philadelphia judge who is running for Pennsylvania Superior Court in November, emphasized the importance of individuals making their voices heard to ensure all are treated with dignity and respect.



&#8220;We have to decide in Pennsylvania, what is it going to be? Are we going to be a place of love or are we going to be a place of hate?&#8230; Your voice matters,&#8221; Lane said.



Kenyatta urged those in attendance to be true to themselves, knowing that it will inspire someone else to do the same.



&#8220;If we lift each other up, if we encourage each other to be brave, if we remind ourselves that we are the majority of this commonwealth, that we are the majority of this nation, when we do that then we will continue to pull this nation closer to making the ideals of freedom, justice and fairness real for everybody,&#8221; he said. &#8220;No matter who you are, no matter what you look like, no matter who you love, no matter how you worship or choose not to, here in Pennsylvania it’s about you getting a fair shot and a fair shake. We’re going to keep doing that together.&#8221;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-9-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424943"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photo by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com</figcaption></figure>



State College Pride has grown substantially since it was first held in 2021. Last year it drew an estimated 4,000 people and organizers expected that number would increase again for the third edition.



The <a href="https://www.centrelgbtqa.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Centre LGBTQA Support Network</a> (CLSN), which was founded in 2014, has been instrumental in that, as well as in providing resources year round. Sue Marshall, a founding member and current board secretary, said planning for next year&#8217;s Pride will start next week.



In the shorter term, however, CLSN will be celebrating another advancement. A long-planned LGBTQ center for downtown State College will open sometime in August at the corner of Calder Way and South Pugh Street, Marshall said.



&#8220;We can’t wait,&#8221; she said. &#8220;We will have a big opening celebration.&#8221;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/pride-2023-anchor-arrow-2-scaled.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-424949"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Community members danced while Anchor &amp; Arrow played at the 2023 State College Pride festival on Saturday, June 10, in Sidney Friedman Park. Photo by Geoff Rushton | StateCollege.com</figcaption></figure>

‘Showing Up with Joy in Our Hearts.’ State College Celebrates Pride

There may be just one person who claims not to know who will start at quarterback for Penn State football when the team begins its season against West Virginia on Sept. 2.



While Drew Allar has been set as the presumed successor to longtime starting quarterback Sean Clifford since the day that he stepped onto Penn State’s campus in January 2022, James Franklin didn’t declare a winner to the Nittany Lions’ quarterback competition with 86 days until the season opener.



“We have competition at every single position, every single year, returning starter or not,” Franklin told the media on Thursday. “I think that’s the right thing to do.”



Allar’s competition at the position is Beau Pribula, who, like Allar, was a member of the Nittany Lions’ recruiting Class of 2022. The difference between the two was that Allar was a five-star recruit by the time he arrived on campus. Pribula was a three-star.



More recently, Allar took snaps behind Clifford in the 2022 season. The youngster played in enough games that he was unable to take a redshirt season. By contrast, Pribula didn’t take a snap in a Penn State game until the Blue-White Game in April, when he attempted 22 of his 27 passes with second-string players.



Franklin’s hesitation to name a starter isn’t surprising. Entering his 10th year with Penn State, Franklin wants competition at the position. It’s likely that Allar will only stick around Penn State for two more years. Franklin will need someone to step up when the Ohio native is gone.



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It’s a situation that Franklin has had before. From 2016-17, he had running backs Saquon Barkley and Miles Sanders on the same roster. Barkley was a shout for a Heisman candidate in college, and when Sanders turned pro, he reached last season’s Super Bowl as the starting running back for the Philadelphia Eagles.



At Penn State, Barkley was the evident starter. But Franklin said that competition between the two made them both better. If Franklin has his way, the same will happen to Allar and Pribula.



“I think at times there may have been some frustration with that, but I truly believe that type of competition in college really set them up to be successful in the NFL,” Franklin said. “[Barkley] always had somebody behind him trying to take reps away from him. And [Sanders], as a young player, was trying to overtake [Barkley]. So I think that is a healthy position to be in.”



Franklin also has to answer the question of how he’ll use each quarterback. As Mike Yurcich, Penn State’s offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach said at the same press conference, each quarterback has different styles. Gameplans have to be tailored to those styles.



Allar’s been described as a quarterback who’s steady in the pocket. Teammates have raved about his ability to place passes in locations where only a receiver can catch them. Allar can be mobile but his arm is what really sets him apart from the pack.



Pribula, however, is described as athletic. He’s the quarterback that Franklin and Yurcich could turn to when they need to push a pile or in a situation that calls for a mobile quarterback. He’s the Nittany Lions’ alternate.



However Franklin plays the two quarterbacks, it will likely be some time before Penn State fans have an answer to the question that’s hung over the program for more than a year. Franklin noted that he wanted Clifford to compete for a starting role for the six years that the recent&nbsp;<a href="https://onwardstate.com/2023/04/29/sean-clifford-drafted-no-149-overall-by-green-bay-packers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NFL draftee</a>&nbsp;spent in Happy Valley. The same will apply to Allar.



If Franklin has 86 days to name a starter against the Mountaineers, he may just use all 86.

‘We Have Competition at Every Single Position’: Penn State Quarterback Question Still Unanswered

Penn State football picked up another four-star prospect on Friday afternoon as safety Vaboue Toure verbally committed to the Nittany Lions. Toure announced his decision on his Twitter account, choosing Penn State over the likes of Oklahoma, Kentucky and others.



Hitting the scales at 6-foot-1, 185-pounds out of Irvington, New Jersey, Toure is the 17th player to join the Nittany Lions’ recruiting Class of 2024. According to the <a href="https://247sports.com/player/vaboue-toure-46122973/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">247 Network</a>, Toure is rated the No. 23 safety in 2024 class and the No. 4 player in the Garden State. He is the second safety to verbally commit to Penn State this cycle, joining <a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/articles/penn-state-football/penn-state-lands-commitment-from-4-star-safety/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dejuan Lane</a>, who verbally committed on June 4.



Penn State&#8217;s 2024 class is currently <a href="https://247sports.com/college/penn-state/Season/2024-Football/Commits/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ranked the seventh-best in the nation</a> according to the 247 Network. So far this cycle, Penn State has landed 10 verbal commitments from four-star prospects with the remaining seven currently at the three-star level. The class is headlined by four-star athlete <a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/articles/penn-state-football/penn-state-recruiting/top-ranked-pa-prospect-commits-to-penn-state-footballs-2024-recruiting-class/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Quinton Martin</a>, who is ranked No. 49 prospect in the country and No. 1 in Pennsylvania, according to the 247 Network. Martin, a Belle Vernon product, verbally committed to Penn State in April.

Penn State Football: Nittany Lions Add Four-Star Safety to 2024 Class

Penn State is set to make the most of an NCAA rule change adopted in January that will allow for expanded staff sizes for a number of athletic programs on campus. Over the course of Wednesday and Thursday, Penn State listed over a dozen new assistant coaching positions on its job board spanning various sports from wrestling to men&#8217;s and women&#8217;s hockey.



The listings come months after the Division I Council opted for a rule change that eliminated the voluntary coach designation. Instead, programs will be able to hire an additional countable coach for a full-time staff position. Previously volunteer coaches had limited roles which largely kept them from certain roles on both the recruiting and coaching fronts. Those limitations are now no longer in place.



&#8220;The Council&#8217;s actions today for coaching limits reflect the ongoing efforts within Division I to modernize NCAA rules,&#8221; Lynda Tealer, executive associate athletics director at Florida and chair of the Division I Council, said at the time. &#8220;These changes will ease the burden on campus compliance staffs and increase the number of coaches who can assist with recruiting activities.&#8221;



It remains to be seen how many programs will take part in actual searches for these new roles rather than simply opting to promote internally many of the current volunteer assistant coaches to a newly available full-time role. In either case, assistant coaching jobs were listed for softball, men&#8217;s volleyball, women&#8217;s volleyball, men&#8217;s and women&#8217;s gymnastics, men&#8217;s and women&#8217;s swimming and diving, women&#8217;s hockey, men&#8217;s hockey, wrestling, men&#8217;s and women&#8217;s soccer as well as men&#8217;s and women&#8217;s lacrosse.



Football and men&#8217;s and women&#8217;s basketball were not impacted by the rule change, although the council did vote to approve the expansion of both men&#8217;s and women&#8217;s basketball staffs by two coaches, neither of which are permitted to recruit.

Penn State Set for Swath of Assistant Coach Hires Following NCAA Rule Change

With Penn State&#8217;s season slowly getting closer and training camp even closer still, there&#8217;s no time like the present to think about how the Nittany Lions&#8217; season &#8211; and who the big performers of the year &#8211; will end up being. On a team not short of talent, there are plenty of players to choose from for all of these awards, but here are a few preseason predictions of how it&#8217;s all going to play out when the 2023 campaign is all said and done.



MVP: Nick Singleton, running back



The popular option here is to pick Drew Allar to just do everything and be wonderful. While that might end up being true, it seems more likely that Allar is going to ease into his role in part on the back of Penn State&#8217;s running game. Even in a world where that isn&#8217;t the case, Singleton seems poised to have a Saquon Barkley-sophomore-year where he just does so much that you have to give him the award. A nod here as well for Kaytron Allen, who is every bit the threat to gash teams for big gains as Singleton is. Split the award if you want — Penn State&#8217;s best asset is going to be the fact Allar won&#8217;t have to force it.



Most Improved: KeAndre Lambert-Smith, receiver



If you&#8217;re a believer in KLS&#8217; ability to turn the corner and become the sort of player he has shown he can be in spurts, this is the award for you. There are a lot of guys you could pick for this honor because Penn State is going to need plenty of players to step up this season, but KLS gets tabbed here on &#8220;it has to happen finally?&#8221; merits. If he doesn&#8217;t, then Dani Dennis-Sutton will, and if he doesn&#8217;t you could maybe give it to a kicker — but that&#8217;s never a sexy option. In any case, here&#8217;s to KLS becoming the player some people think he can be.



Defensive Player of The Year: Abdul Carter, linebacker



Abdul Carter might not be Micah Parsons just yet but he does have the opportunity to have the season everyone was hoping to see from Parsons prior to COVID. Penn State&#8217;s defense is going to be very good &#8211; again &#8211; so Chop Robinson, Kalen King and others might be just as able to snag this away from Carter. That being said, Carter is gearing up for a legitimate All-American run. Kind of makes this award obvious if he checks off that box.



Offensive Player of The Year: Olu Fashanu, offensive tackle 



Yes this could go to Singleton, but if Penn State is going to bring back a probable top-10 pick and spend the better part of the last decade lamenting that the offensive line isn&#8217;t good enough, you have to get technical and give this award to the best player on that side of the ball. It isn&#8217;t sexy, but the moment you say &#8220;but give it to Singleton or Allar&#8221; well, just rewind the tape and ask yourself if you&#8217;d like to watch another iteration of &#8220;if only Penn State had a good offensive line.&#8221; Fashanu can&#8217;t do it on his own, but he sure as hell can do a lot.



Freshman of The Year: Tony Rojas, linebacker



Rojas is one of those kids who shows up on campus and everyone immediately starts talking about him. Rojas hasn&#8217;t played a snap yet for Penn State so time will tell if he can really live up to the hype, but man, oh man, is he building a hype train. This award might be partially a product of Penn State not having tons of freshmen set to take on as big of a role as Rojas, but he is going to earn it either way.



Household Name: Kalen King, cornerback



A somewhat vaguely defined award, this is the year that I can start to make good on an unpopular opinion that Kalen King might actually be better than Joey Porter Jr. I&#8217;m burying this claim at the bottom of the story to limit the number of people who see it. True or not, King is objectively set up to make a name for himself this year and has given plenty of indication that he capable of doing exactly that.

Preseason Award Predictions: Who Will Be Penn State Football’s MVP This Year?

Penn State Uplifting Athletes chapter is set for its annual Lift for Life event on Thursday, June 22 at the Lasch Practice Fields starting at 4 p.m. This year marks the 20th iteration of the event which has steadily grown over the years. As per usual, Lift for Life will feature the Penn State&#8217;s offense going up against the defense in various shows of strength and agility.



For those interested in attending doors will open at 3:30 p.m. and fans can enter from the Holuba Hall/East Area Locker Room parking lot. Fans are asked to park in Jordan East (formerly Lot 44). While the event is free to attend there is a suggested donation of $10 for adults and $5 for kids to support the Penn State Chapter of Uplifting Athletes. All proceeds from the Penn State Lift for Life will benefit the rare disease community.



In addition to the general event, there will also be a kids clinic, which will run 4:30-5:30 p.m. Children interested in participating in the clinic must have a <a href="https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgopsusports.com%2Fdocuments%2F2023%2F6%2F12%2FLift_for_Life_Clinic_June_22__2023_Medical_Form.pdf&amp;data=05%7C01%7CFB-MEDIA-L%40LISTS.PSU.EDU%7C443f43d0e1ba40e4e19908db6b9682ab%7C7cf48d453ddb4389a9c1c115526eb52e%7C0%7C0%7C638222066394699194%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=FDftuvtjkL7%2FKUr7FhT%2FN499loXvRbTtILdeimVO21A%3D&amp;reserved=0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">waiver form</a> filled out and presented at the door. More than 80 football players from Penn State&#8217;s current roster are expected to participate in Lift for Life events this year. 



Penn State Uplifting Athletes Chapter also announced earlier this week that offensive lineman Landon Tengwall will serve as president for the 2023 season. Offensive Lineman Nick Dawkins is the vice president.



Uplifting Athletes inspires the rare disease community &#8211; a rare disease is one that affects fewer than 200,000 Americans and typically lacks financial incentive to make and market new treatments. Uplifting Athletes has established 28 chapters with Division I football programs across the country. Since it was founded, Uplifting Athletes has raised more than $4.5 million in support of the Rare Disease Community, and a third of that, $1.5 million, has been given to fund rare disease research. The mission of Uplifting Athletes is accomplished through four charitable programs: Rare Disease Awareness, Rare Disease Research, Uplifting Experiences and Uplifting Leaders. For more information about Uplifting Athletes, <a href="http://visitwww.upliftingathletes.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">visitwww.upliftingathletes.org</a>.

Penn State Football: Lift for Life Details Announced

The State College Spikes are set to celebrate the 25th anniversary of an iconic moment in Penn State football history with a LaVar Leap Bobblehead giveaway to the first 1,000 fans who attend the game on Saturday, Aug. 19.



The leap, which has become synonymous with Arrington&#8217;s career at Penn State and one of the most recognizable college football plays of the late 1990s, came in 1998 as Arrington leapt across the line of scrimmage for a stop against Illinois. The Nittany Lions would win that game 27-0 en route to an eventual 9-3 season, going 10-3 in the following year in 1999 before a downturn in play in the early 2000s.



As for Arrington, he would go on to play in the NFL from 2000 to 2006 after being drafted No. 2 overall in the 2000 NFL Draft behind fellow teammate and defensive end Courtney Brown.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" src="https://henr18y71trtnloh5jkqnqjqt.js.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Fycr-9iWYAIdc8M-1024x1024.jpeg" alt="" class="wp-image-425126" width="512" height="512"/><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">LaVar Arrington bobblehead. photo via State College Spikes.</figcaption></figure>



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State College Spikes Set For ‘LaVar Leap’ Bobblehead Giveaway

Penn State football is right around the corner.



With training camp fast approaching, James Franklin held a summer press conference Thursday morning with multiple members of the Nittany Lion coaching staff.



Penn State is heading into one of the most anticipated seasons in recent memory, with first-year starting quarterback Drew Allar most likely taking the helm of the offense alongside running back duo Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen.



With the team’s season opener against <a href="https://onwardstate.com/2023/05/06/penn-state-west-virginia-to-kick-off-at-730-p-m/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">West Virginia</a> approaching in less than 90 days, Franklin touched on developments in the wide receiver corps, the quarterback room, player status and the expectations for the upcoming season.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-on-the-wide-receiver-room">On The Wide Receiver Room</h3>



The Nittany Lions added&nbsp;<a href="https://onwardstate.com/2023/01/15/wide-receiver-dante-cephas-transfers-to-penn-state-football/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">transfer wideout Dante Cephas</a>&nbsp;to the group after the conclusion of spring practice but Franklin highlighted receivers that were mostly already part of Penn State’s corps.



While Franklin said that he was looking for a few more players to step up after the Blue-White Game in April, he noted that there were a few players that had made the leap from the end of spring to summer. Names like Liam Clifford, Malik McClain, Kaden Saunders, Anthony Ivey, and Malick Meiga jumped out as Franklin tries to fill out his depth chart.



Omari Evans, who had a&nbsp;<a href="https://onwardstate.com/2023/04/15/omari-evans-shines-as-potential-starter-at-wide-receiver-role-in-blue-white-performance/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">strong Blue-White showing in April</a>, was also mentioned as a player that gave Franklin a bit of security, as the head coach stated that he had three wideouts who had already proven themselves in Beaver Stadium.



“I think there are more guys that are going to be a part of this conversation. After training camp, I think there are guys that are close enough to have a chance to help us win in this conference,” Franklin said. “But they had to take a step.”



Franklin also mentioned Cephas, who has been on campus for a few weeks. While Franklin said that he hasn’t had extended contact with the transfer, he revealed Cephas’ personality “meshes with our locker room really well.”



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-on-spring-ball-absentees-returning-for-summer-practice">On Spring Ball Absentees Returning For Summer Practice</h3>



During this year’s&nbsp;<a href="https://onwardstate.com/2023/04/15/blue-knocks-off-white-10-0-in-2023-blue-white-game/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Blue-White Game</a>, tight ends Theo Johnson and Tyler Elsdon, along with linebacker Tyler Warren, were all notably absent from the field. Now, Franklin says they’re all back and ready to go for the remainder of the training program.



“They’re all good to go,” Franklin said. “We had a decent number of surgeries right after the season ended but now they’re all back and ready to go.”



Overall, Franklin said missing out on spring ball is not going to have a large impact on play throughout this season and was good practice for players lower on the depth chart.



“Sometime’s that’s a blessing in disguise,” Franklin said. “It forces the other guys to get a ton of reps.”



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-on-the-quarterback-competition">On The Quarterback Competition</h3>



Despite overwhelming speculation that Drew Allar will take the reins of the Penn State offense next season, Franklin has yet to name a starting quarterback.



Entering his 10th year of coaching at Penn State, Franklin said his quarterback strategy is the same as always.



“Every year, it’s the same philosophy,” Franklin said. “It’s a competition at every single position. A lot can happen between now and the season.”



Franklin joked that even in what seemed like Sean Clifford’s 15th year with the program, he still had to compete for the starting job. Franklin believes that this type of plan sets players up well for a potential professional career, while also making every player the best that they can possibly be.



“It’s the right thing to do, not only for our entire program but also for the player,” Franklin said.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-on-managing-expectations">On Managing Expectations</h3>



With heightened expectations normally comes heightened pressure, but Franklin maintains that it will be business as usual for the Nittany Lion squad.



Franklin highlighted what the program means to not only the school but also the community where they play. While having high expectations for his players on the field, Franklin also has high expectations for his players off of it.



“My expectations are to have great workouts, go to class and have a great day in class, and go into the community and make great choices,” Franklin said. “I want to have a great training camp, get better, and be in the best position we can be to beat West Virginia.”



Aside from wanting his players to be the best that they can be, Franklin says he doesn’t have any heightened expectations for his players on the field.



“At the end of the day, all that stuff doesn’t matter,” Franklin said. “What really matters is do our habits and our actions align with who we say we want to be and where we want to go. If not, it’s just talk.”

News & Notes From James Franklin’s Summer Press Conference

Following the announcement by the Big Ten of the <a href="https://stcodev.wpengine.com/articles/penn-state-sports/penn-state-football-usc-set-to-visit-beaver-stadium-in-2024-as-big-ten-announces-future-schedules/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2024 and 2025 conference schedule</a>, Penn State football is eyeing one of the most intriguing seasons in program history in 2024 with regards to the matchups themselves. While dates are still to be released somewhere down the, the home and away configuration is now known. Add in a trip to West Virginia and you get the following schedule when it comes to the most noteworthy games.



Those noteworthy matchups are as follows.



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>at West Virginia</li>



<li>at Wisconsin</li>



<li>USC</li>



<li>Ohio State</li>



<li>Nebraska</li>



<li>Michigan State</li>
</ul>



What makes for a good schedule is a debate to some degree. If nothing else, nobody will accuse Penn State of having an easy schedule in 2024, but when it comes to interesting games on paper, few seasons have delivered the goods quite like this one. Time will tell how those games actually pan out in terms of quality, but there&#8217;s no shortage of things to circle on your calendar.



How good is it historically? Here are a few other seasons to consider.



2011 [Alabama, at Ohio State and no Michigan] 



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>This season comes to mind from the outset because it&#8217;s really the most recent big big out of conference game of the modern era. Alabama is Alabama but between not facing Michigan in 2011 and Ohio State being on the road (and not very good) this year wasn&#8217;t all that noteworthy in the end. Fortunately for Penn State nothing else interesting happened in 2011.</li>
</ul>



2007 [Notre Dame, Wisconsin, Ohio State]



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Wisconsin wasn&#8217;t quite what Wisconsin is today, but the trio of games here &#8211; especially the elusive Notre Dame meeting &#8211; elevates this season.</li>
</ul>



2001 [Miami, Michigan, Ohio State]



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Penn State wasn&#8217;t good in 2001 but having all three of those teams visit Beaver Stadium for the first season following the stadium expansion is a good time.</li>
</ul>



1999 [Arizona, Pitt, at Miami, Ohio State, Michigan] 



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>The 1980s and 1990s are chock full of &#8220;just scheduling fun games&#8221; energy and this season is up there with the most marquee games end-to-end. Arizona was a banger opening game.</li>
</ul>



1991 [Georgia Tech, West Virginia, at USC, at Miami, Notre Dame, at Pitt] 



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Talk about just playing everyone. This season was quintessential traditionalist Penn State football. Can&#8217;t argue with this slate.</li>
</ul>



1989 and 90 [Texas, USC (in 1990), Alabama, West Virginia, Notre Dame, Pitt]



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>These seasons were equally as bonkers with a mixture of home and away games against all of these teams. The further back you go the more Penn State keeps on with the old school scheduling so the 1989 and 1990 schedules are as emblematic of the era as anything else. </li>
</ul>

Is Penn State’s 2024 Schedule One of the Program’s Best Ever?

The Big Ten announced home and away scheduling for the 2024 and 2025 football seasons on Thursday afternoon in conjunction with the pending arrival of USC and UCLA to the conference in 2024. The league did not indicate dates or timing for any of the announced games. Those will be announced at a later date.



As was previously known, Thursday&#8217;s announcement marked the end of of the Big Ten Division structure with the top two teams in the Big Ten standings making the conference title game. The Big Ten indicated that the tie-breaking procedure would also be announced at a later date.



When it comes to Penn State, the Nittany Lions will host Michigan State, Ohio State, USC, Northwestern and Nebraska in 2024 for a fairly interesting and high-profile slate of games. While the Big Ten announced that teams would be granted protected matchups each season &#8211; for example Michigan and Ohio State will still always play each year &#8211; Penn State has no such protected matchup, the only team in the Big Ten for which that is the case. Conversely, Iowa is the only team with three protected matchups each year.



All the same, teams will play every other conference opponent at least twice – once home and once away – in a four-year period.



2024 Away



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Indiana</li>



<li>Purdue</li>



<li>Rutgers</li>



<li>Wisconsin</li>
</ul>



2024 Home



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Michigan State</li>



<li>Nebraska</li>



<li>Ohio State</li>



<li>Northwestern</li>



<li>USC</li>
</ul>



In 2025 the Nittany Lions will play a slightly less interesting home slate, hosting Illinois, Minnesota, Rutgers and UCLA. Meanwhile Penn State will travel to Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State and USC for a more robust travel schedule. The Big Ten noted on Thursday that it considered the balance of annual travel by distance, regions of the conference, and time zones during the scheduling process.



2025 Away



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Iowa</li>



<li>Maryland</li>



<li>Michigan</li>



<li>Michigan State</li>



<li>USC</li>
</ul>



2025 Home



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Illinois</li>



<li>Minnesota</li>



<li>Rutgers</li>



<li>UCLA</li>
</ul>

Penn State Football: USC Set to Visit Beaver Stadium in 2024 as Big Ten Announces Future Schedules

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