Joe Paterno Didn't Want Penn State To Be In The Big Ten Conference
09/17/2024 02:40 PM
Penn State joined the Big Ten back in 1990, and they've been one of the league's most successful members.
Several bowl wins and All-Americans later, one prominent sports commentator says a top figure in school history never wanted them there to begin with.
According to NBC Sports analyst and former Penn State quarterback Todd Blackledge, former head coach Joe Paterno never wanted to see the school join the Big Ten.
"Coach Paterno was really against joining the Big Ten because he felt like… parents from the East Coast wanted to see [their kids] play play Pittsburgh or West Virginia or Rutgers, not Iowa or Indiana," said Dan Dakich, who spoke with Blackledge.
"Originally, he wanted there to be an all Eastern sports conference," Blackledge said.
He explained that circumstances beyond Paterno's control prevented that from happening.
"At that time, there were a couple of schools that were in the Big East Conference with basketball. They didn't want to leave that to start an all-sports conference in the East. I think Joe was kind of upset by that," Blackledge said.
"When they ended up going to the Big Ten, I think he knew it fit. But I think if he had had his way before that, it would have been to do something with all the Eastern schools and make it a power conference in the East."
These days, the Big Ten includes teams from all over the country. Maryland and Rutgers are certainly local rivals for Penn State, additions that would have been more in line with Paterno's vision.
The Nittany Lions have maintained many of the regional rivalries that existed before their move to the Big Ten, including against West Virginia, who they've played to open the last two seasons.
As college football continues to change with each passing year, it seems that some schools are intent on continuing traditions that have existed for decades, if not centuries with some of their oldest rivals.
