UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – The Penn State men's and women's basketball teams will return to their roots in February when the two programs host a pair of Big Ten games inside Rec Hall. The men's basketball team will host Illinois on Wednesday, Feb. 21 in a 6:30 p.m. tipoff from Rec Hall, while the women's squad will face Ohio State on Thursday, Feb. 22 in a 6 p.m. tipoff.
Rec Hall, which is the current home of Penn State's men's and women's volleyball and men's and women's gymnastics and wrestling teams, was the longtime home of both the men's and women's basketball teams until a 1996 move to the Bryce Jordan Center.
Men's Basketball vs. Illinois – Wednesday, Feb. 21 – 6:30 p.m. – Big Ten Network
Tickets
The men's basketball game will be a season ticket holder exclusive event that will be limited to only general and student season ticket holders. No single game tickets will be sold. Those who purchased general season tickets prior to Oct. 11 will have access to the Return to Rec men's basketball game on Feb. 21. Men's basketball student season tickets go on sale on Monday, Oct. 16 at 7 a.m.
More information and details for season tickets holders will follow via email.
Men's Basketball in Rec Hall
Men's basketball returns to Rec Hall for the first time since December 2015. Since moving into the Bryce Jordan Center during the 1996 season, Penn State has played at Rec Hall on three occasions – Dec. 14, 2013 vs. Princeton (L, 79-81 OT), Dec. 10, 2015 vs. Canisius (W, 81-67) and Dec. 12, 2015 vs. Louisiana Monroe (W, 54-50). The Nittany Lions will host their first Big Ten opponent in a Return to Rec game when the Illini come to Happy Valley on Feb. 21.
The Nittany Lions defeated Wisconsin, 79-50, in their final Rec Hall game on Jan. 7, 1996, before moving to their current home in the 15,261-seat Bryce Jordan Center the following game on Jan. 11, 1996. Rec Hall gained a reputation as one of the toughest places to play in the nation when it served as the home of the Nittany Lions from 1929-96. That reputation was built on boisterous crowds who packed the arena to the rafters and a student section that was right on top of the floor. Rec Hall had a final listed capacity of 6,846 for basketball, but more than 8,000 fans jammed into the iconic building for a basketball game six times in the building's history, including a record 8,600 fans for a contest vs. Virginia on Dec. 5, 1973.
The Lions compiled a stellar 514-183 (.737) record in Rec Hall from 1929-96, including a 45-game win streak from 1951-55. That era saw the Nittany Lions reach the program's only NCAA Final Four in 1954 behind All-American Jesse Arnelle and coach Elmer Gross. Arnelle is among a long list of Penn State greats to have made their mark on the Rec Hall floor, including names like John Amaechi, Freddie Barnes, John Barr, Ron Brown, Monroe Brown, Carver Clinton, Dan Earl, Mark Dumars, Gene Harris, Deron Hayes, Tom Hovasse, Mike Lang, Pete Lisicky and Bob Weiss.
Penn State was led by nine different head coaches during the Rec Hall era, including longtime NBA coaches Dick Harter (1979-83) and John Bach (1969-78), the Lions' all-time wins leader John Egli (1955-68), Helm's Foundation Hall of Fame inductee John Lawther (1937-49) and Bruce Parkhill (1984-95). Parkhill led the Lion's through one of the program's most successful eras and into the Big Ten Conference with four-straight 20-win seasons and four straight postseason appearances between 1988-92. He was on the sideline when Penn State captured the A-10 Tournament Championship on the Rec Hall floor in 1991.
Women's Basketball vs. Ohio State – Thursday, Feb. 22 – 6 p.m. – Big Ten Network
Tickets
The women's basketball game in Rec Hall will be open to season ticket holders as well as single-game purchasers. Single-game tickets for the Return to Rec women's basketball game will take place separately from single-game women's basketball tickets going on sale next week. More information will follow via email.
Women's Basketball in Rec Hall
The Lady Lions make their return to Rec Hall for the first time since 1995 where the team spent 20 seasons playing in the historic building. In the first women's basketball contest at Rec Hall, the Lady Lions hosted eventual National Champion Delta State in the 1976 AIAW Tournament on March 24, 1976. This was the lone game held in Rec Hall for the Lady Lions during the 1975-76 campaign.
In 1977, Penn State played five games in Rec Hall, including a tournament against powerful programs such as Texas and Ohio State. After a one-year break, the Lady Lions made the permanent move for the 1979-80 season. Penn State hosted its first NCAA women's basketball postseason game in 1982 when the Lady Lions defeated Clemson.
Penn State hosted a "Pack the Track" game at Rec Hall which saw a sellout record attendance of 7,264 on Feb. 6, 1994. The contest was against then and now powerhouse Iowa, who was No. 8 at the time. The Lady Lions claimed a 63-61 victory in the first nationally televised broadcast of a women's basketball contest in Rec Hall on ESPN2.
The Blue & White have seen great success in their former home on Curtin Road, holding a 203-34 (.857) record in their 20 seasons with Rec Hall as their arena before moving to the Bryce Jordan Center in 1996. They have also experienced outstanding achievement against Big Ten opponents in games played in Rec, only losing one game and winning 44. Four undefeated seasons came for the Lady Lions in their time at Rec Hall, going 12-0 in 1984-85, 11-0 in 1986-87, 15-0 in 1989-90 and 14-0 in 1993-94.
