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Notre Dame, Michigan highlight Penn State's 2006 football schedule

7/10/03

Penn State will renew its rivalry with Notre Dame and host Michigan for the first time in five years during the 2006 football season. The 2006 slate also includes non-conference home games with Akron (Sept. 2) and Louisiana Tech (Sept. 16), as well as eight Big Ten Conference contests. Two of nation's top five all-time winningest programs, Penn State and Notre Dame will be meeting for the first time since 1992. The Nittany Lions travel to South Bend on Sept. 9, 2006 and the Fighting Irish will play in Beaver Stadium on Sept. 8, 2007. The teams have an even 8-8-1 series record. Penn State will open the 2006 Big Ten slate at Ohio State on Sept. 23. The Lions also will visit Minnesota (Oct. 7), Purdue (Oct. 28) and Wisconsin (Nov. 4) in conference play. In addition to Michigan, the Lions will host Big Ten foes Northwestern (Sept. 30), Illinois (Oct. 21) and Michigan State (Nov. 18) in the season ending clash for the Land Grant Trophy.

Football team's 'Lift for Life' raises $10,000+ to fight kidney cancer

7/8/03

The 2003 college football season may still be more than a month and a half away, but that didn't stop approximately 50 Nittany Lion student-athletes, among others, from convening early to tackle an opponent that can affect everyone -- kidney cancer. The first Penn State Lift For Life, a concept developed and organized by three Penn State football players, raised more than $10,000 for the Kidney Cancer Association. The goal of the event was to help raise money and awareness for the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of kidney cancer, which has affected family members of several squad members. The competition was designed to test the participants' mental and physical toughness through some traditional weightlifting and conditioning events as well as some more extreme contests.

Football team earns national recognition for academic achievement

6/19/03

For the 14th time in the 17 years it has been eligible, Penn State has received honorable mention recognition by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) in the organization's academic achievement award tabulation. The University was one of 32 Division I-A institutions to be recognized for having a graduation rate of 70 percent or better for student-athletes who were freshmen during the 1997-98 academic year. Penn State football players entering school in 1995-96 graduated at a superlative 88 percent clip, tied for the third-highest rate among all 117 Division I-A programs. ercent clip, tied for the third-highest rate among all 117 Division I-A programs. The Nittany Lions were tied for the highest graduation rate of any team that played in a bowl game or was ranked in the final polls during the 2002 season. The national average was 52 percent.

Lady Lion basketball to face loaded non-conference schedule

6/17/03

The Lady Lion basketball team is taking on all challengers during the upcoming season -- at least it appears that way when glancing at the recently announced 2003-04 non-conference schedule. Following back-to-back appearances in the "Sweet Sixteen" round of the NCAA Tournament, the Lady Lions' regular season slate includes at least 14 games against 11 opponents that qualified for the 2003 NCAA Tournament. Penn State's home non-league slate is filled with intriguing match ups against some of the nation's top programs including Louisiana State, Texas, Baylor and Louisiana Tech.

NACDA honors Curley as region's athletic director of the year

6/17/03

Tim Curley, Penn State director of Athletics, has been selected the Division I-A Northeast Region Athletic Director of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics (NACDA). In his 10th year as the leader of the Nittany Lions' athletic department, Curley is one of four regional winners in Division I-A and among 25 regional honorees from the NCAA, NAIA and junior colleges. He and all regional winners were honored Saturday, June 14 during the 38th Annual NACDA Convention in Orlando, Fla.

Penn State ranks among top five nationally for overall athletic program

6/17/03

Another highly successful year for Penn State intercollegiate athletics has culminated in the Nittany and Lady Lions earning fifth place in the NACDA Directors' Cup standings, an all-sports competition among Division I institutions. Penn State earned its fourth top five finish and seventh top 10 finish in the 10 years of the survey. The Lions have finished in the top five three times in the past five years. There were more than 300 eligible colleges and universities in Division I this year. Stanford won its ninth consecutive Directors' Cup and has 1,330.5 points, followed by Ohio State (1,065.75), Michigan (1,034.5), Texas (1,011) and Penn State (993).

Kickoff times set for four 2003 Nittany Lion football games

6/16/03

For the second consecutive year, Penn State and Nebraska will collide in a primetime clash on ABC Sports, one of four kickoff times announced for the 2003 Nittany Lion football season. Penn State's Sept. 13 contest at Nebraska will kick off at 8 p.m. EDT (7:00 p.m. in Memorial Stadium in Lincoln) and will be a split national telecast. Times also have been set for the Aug. 30 season opener with Temple (3:30 p.m. on ESPN+ on a syndicated basis); the Sept. 6 renewal of the rivalry with Boston College (noon on ABC to a regional audience) and the Oct. 4 Homecoming game with Wisconsin (noon with television coverage to be announced).

Women's track team posts record performance at national championships

6/16/03

The Penn State women's track team kept its best-ever season going last weekend at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, Calif. as the Lions posted the school's highest ever finish in their third post-season competition of the year. Penn State garnered a school best six outdoor All-Americans, its first national champion since 1977, and scored a school record 24 points to take 10th in the NCAA outdoor competition -- the Lions' best ever finish. Senior Deshaya Williams brought home the Lions' individual national championship in the discus, becoming the school's first NCAA champion in 26 years and the first Penn State woman to win a title in a field event.

School record 230 student-athletes earn Academic All-Big Ten Honors

6/5/03

Penn State's student-athletes have raised the bar again, with a school record 230 Academic All-Big Ten honorees during the 2002-03 academic year. The 230 recipients broke the previous mark of 227, set in 2000-01. There were 105 Penn State honorees for the eight spring and five at-large sports, providing the final impetus to break the record. Penn State finished second among all conference institutions for 2002-03, as Ohio State had 250 honorees. Over the past seven years, Penn State leads all schools with 1,472 Academic All-Big Ten selections, followed by Ohio State with 1,324.

Spanier to lead Big Ten Council of Presidents/Chancellors in 2003-04

5/28/03

Penn State President Graham B. Spanier will chair the Big Ten Council of Presidents and Chancellors for the 2003-2004 academic year, the latest of several pivotal leadership roles for Spanier within the realm of intercollegiate athletics on a national level. Founded in 1896, the Big Ten Conference is an association of 11 major universities whose member institutions share a common mission of research, graduate, professional and undergraduate teaching and public service. Intercollegiate athletics has an important place within the mission. Penn State, the newest member of the Big Ten, joined the conference on June 4, 1990.

Webcasts and live events at http://www.GoPSUsports.com

5/15/03

** Thursday, May 15 **
Softball vs. Oregon, NCAA Tournament, 5 p.m. (Webcast)

** Friday, May 16 **
Softball vs. TBA, NCAA Tournament, noon or 5 p.m. (Webcast)

** Saturday, May 17 **
Softball vs. TBA, NCAA Tournament, TBA (Webcast)

** Sunday, May 18 **
Softball vs. TBA, NCAA Tournament, TBA (Webcast)

Penn State Sports Schedules

5/15/03

** Thursday, May 15 **
Men's Golf at NCAA Regionals, all day
Softball vs. Oregon, NCAA Tournament, 5 p.m.

** Friday, May 16 **
Women's Outdoor Track at Big Ten Championships, Ann Arbor, Mich., all day
Men's Outdoor Track at Big Ten Championships, Ann Arbor, Mich., all day
Men's Golf at NCAA Regionals, all day
Softball vs.

Women's volleyball announces 2003 schedule

5/15/03

Matches against nine teams that competed in the 2002 NCAA Tournament, including three that finished the season ranked among the top 20 teams in the nation, highlight the 2003 Penn State women's volleyball schedule. This year's oppponents Minnesota, Ohio State and Wisconsin ended the 2002 season ranked in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) top 25 poll, while Michigan State, Michigan, Northwestern, Cincinnati, American, Indiana and Robert Morris also received bids to last season's NCAA Tournament.

Softball in California for NCAA Tournament; opens with Oregon

5/15/03

The Penn State softball team is in Fullerton, Calif., for the NCAA Region 6 Tournament -- the team's fourth fourth-straight NCAA Tournament bid, coming on the heels of a 30-21 overall record this season. Penn State, the No. 6 seed, plays its opening round game against third-seeded Oregon today (May 15). The top seed and host is Cal-State Fullerton who is the Big West Conference champion. Other teams in the Region 6 bracket include Oklahoma State, Louisiana-Lafayette, San Diego State, Boston University and Rider.

DeChellis sends special message to Newswire subscribers

5/15/03

New Nittany Lion basketball coach Ed DeChellis has had an eventful first few weeks on the job, hiring three high caliber assistant coaches and securing three strong recruits who are expected to have a great impact on the program as freshmen next year. This week, DeChellis took some time from his busy schedule to pen a exclusive note to Penn State Newswire subscribers, reflecting on his first few weeks, anticipating the future, and mapping out his plans for a bright future for Penn State men's basketball.

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