Aug. 22, 2009
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., August 22, 2009 - Penn State will begin the 2009 season where it finished the 2008 campaign - among the nation's top 10.
With the season opener two weeks away, the Nittany Lions are tied for No. 9 with Oklahoma State in the Associated Press pre-season Top 25 poll. The AP pre-season ranking is Penn State's highest since entering the 1999 season at No 3.
The Nittany Lions are ranked No. 8 in the USA Today Coaches' football poll.
The Nittany Lions will enter the 2009 season where they finished last year, in the top 10, after earning the No. 8 ranking in the final Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls. Penn State posted an 11-2 record, winning the Big Ten Championship for the second time in four years, and played Southern California in the Rose Bowl, earning its 22nd top 10 finish under the Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno.
The Big Ten was joined by the Big 12 and SEC as the only conferences will multiple teams in the top 10. Penn State opponents Ohio State (No. 6) and Iowa (No. 22) also are ranked in the AP poll, while Illinois was second among teams receiving votes and Michigan State was fourth, good for No. 27 and 29 overall.
Florida is No. 1 in the AP poll, followed by Texas, Oklahoma, USC and Alabama. The Nittany Lions and Crimson Tide will resume their rivalry in 2010 and '11. Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Mississippi State, Penn State and Oklahoma State complete the top 10.
Penn State has earned one of the nation's Top 10 records since the start of the 2005 season, posting a 40-11 (78.4) mark, good for No. 9 nationally.
Joe Paterno is in his 44th season as head coach of the Nittany Lions and 60th season as a member of the Penn State coaching staff. His squad returns 37 letterwinners and 10 starters for its 123rd season.
Penn State Football Eve will launch the season on Friday, Sept. 4, with activities starting at 6:00 p.m. outside Beaver Stadium. The program inside the stadium starts at 7:30 p.m. featuring the Blue Band, cheerleaders, dance team and videos. The seniors will be introduced and after Coach Paterno's address to the crowd, a new stadium video will be unveiled. The event and parking are free.
Penn State opens the season on Sept. 5, hosting Akron at 12:00 p.m. The contest will air on the Big Ten Network, the Penn State Sports Network and www.GoPSUsports.com. The Big Ten Network will televise the Nittany Lions' first three games (Akron, Syracuse and Temple) at 12:00 p.m. from Beaver Stadium, and at least one conference game this season.
Four Penn State home games are sold out, with a limited number of tickets remaining for Akron, Syracuse (Sept. 12, 12:00 p.m.), Temple (Sept. 19, 12:00), and Eastern Illinois (Oct. 10, TBA). Single game tickets are on sale at www.GoPSUsports.com or by calling 800-833-5533. Pre-paid parking passes for the general parking lots also are available at GoPSUsports.com.