Feb. 16, 2016 UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. ââ'¬" The Nittany Lion Fan Council recently held its third meeting since its formation last summer, which included discussion on several topics and a venue assessment.
Launched by Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics in 2015, the 30-person fan council was established to engage and listen to fans about their experiences with Penn State's comprehensive and highly successful 31-sport program. All Fan Council members serve on one of five committees.
The most recent meeting began with remarks from Director of Athletics Sandy Barbour. Among the items she discussed with the Fan Council were: Penn State values, surveys and fan feedback, building an athletic program that local and regional communities want to be part of and the role of the Fan Council as ambassadors for Penn State Athletics and its 800 student-athletes.
Following Barbour's opening session, members of the Fan Council ran much of the remainder of the meeting, with the primary functions of GoPSUsports.com, Penn State Athletics' official website, among the major discussion points. Following committee reports, Fan Council members participated in a venue assessment at a women's hockey game in Pegula Ice Arena and were asked to assess several different aspects of the facility and gameday experience and provide their feedback to Athletics.
"The Fan Council provides a unique and very rewarding opportunity, said Fan Council member Randy Iles. "At the first meeting, I think we all brought our ideas about improvements to the fan experience as individuals without a clear sense of the challenges and priorities facing Penn State in how we best support the student-athletes across 31 varsity sports. By the third meeting, the focus changed to real debate and collaboration about issues, bringing collective perspective that the athletic department might not have otherwise received.
"The highlight for me at this last meeting was attending the women's ice hockey game with an assignment to bring feedback on the fan experience from start to finish," Iles added. "That was my first women's hockey game but, will not be my last."
"Participation on the fan council is an honor and very humbling," said Ron Wagner. "It's not about me or what I think but, rather, representing what's collectively important to the broad Penn State fan base. I don't take this responsibility lightly. We've gone from tentative and cordial initially to meaningful and spirited in the third meeting. We're really starting to hit our stride and tackle consequential issues. It's an opportunity to feel like we are making a difference."
Fan Council members will have an opportunity to participate in a venue assessment during each of their four annual meetings.
The next Nittany Lion Fan Council meeting is scheduled around Blue-White Weekend, with the Blue-White Game set for April 16 at 2 p.m. in Beaver Stadium.
For more information about the Fan Council, including an opportunity to ask a question or make a suggestion, go to: gopsusports.com/ot/fan-council.html
Penn State has one of the nation's most comprehensive and successful athletic departments, featuring 31 programs, approximately 800 student-athletes and an NCAA Graduation Success Rate of 88 percent. The Nittany Lions have won 75 national championships all-time and 96 Big Ten titles since 1992-93.