Today in Central PA Sports History - 1991
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February 26, 1991
19 years ago today Penn State was approved as the eleventh member of the Big Ten as the universities expanded their conference for the first time in four decades. The conference also decided that the Nittany Lions' football program would compete for the Big Ten title for the first time in 1993 and men's and women's basketball would begin playing for the conference championships in the 1992-93 season.
At the time of their inclusion, Big Ten Commissioner James E. Delany said, "Penn State is a strong academic institution with world-renowned capabilities. It is also committed to a broad-based athletics program, and it sponsors a large number of varsity sports for both men and women students." Bryce Jordan (the man and not the Center) agreed, "An affiliation with the Big Ten Conference would create many exciting and challenging possibilities. We're delighted with this new relationship. It makes good sense to affiliate athletically as well as academically with institutions of similar academic mission and structure."
When Penn State joined in 1991, it was also decided that the conference would confuse many non-sports fans by continuing to be called the Big Ten. However, the conference's logo was modified to incorporate the number 11 into the white areas of the traditional lettering.
Joining the Big Ten also allowed PSU's in-state football rivalry with Pitt to begin a slow death in the 1990s where their new conference affiliation now offered fewer scheduling opportunities for the big game. The last time the two schools met on the gridiron was September 16, 2000 when Pitt shutout Penn State 12-0. Moving forward, a significant factor against renewing the rivalry appears to be Penn State's athletic department hell-bent on hosting an unbalanced number of home games in the series.
Thanks for coming and suckling Daddy's Sugar Ball...
Posted by Max Power at 2/26/2010 12:30 PM 
Categories: Central PA Sports History
Tags: Big Ten conference Penn State
Categories: Central PA Sports History
Tags: Big Ten conference Penn State
When Pitt joined the Big East in 1985 JoePa was pissed that he lost the counter weight he needed to develop a new eastern college conference. It would never had worked out with Penn State joining the Big East because it was a Catholic basketball league and held either Catholic schools or public schools from heavily Catholic area's (i.e. Pittsburgh, Louisville, etc). The Big Ten on the other hand are Midwestern state schools of academic note but with a strong presence in intercollegiate sport. I am not sure that Penn State ever really belonged in the Big Ten. They don't have a Midwestern school by geography or character nor are they able to identify with the schools that are in the Big East. With the late addition of Penn State to the Big Ten it never developed a true rival in Football. PSU wants one with Ohio State but they already have Michigan to fight every year. The Big Ten has forced upon us the Spartan vs. Nittany Lions Land Grant Trophy because both schools are the oldest Land Grant Institutions of learning in the country. Who gives a shit about that? Plainly stated Penn State does not fit in the Big Ten. You think of them as a Big Ten School only because it has been 19 years since they joined up.
The true rival for Penn State football is Pitt but JoePa is too busy with his feelings being hurt and PSU too money hungry to lay down a fair schedule of home-and-home games for Pitt. The fact of the matter is for Penn State to play Pitt in the eyes of many is if they win then they beat another sub par football team but if Pitt wins then David has slain the Goliath.
The Backyard Brawl with WVU is fun and has given us some great games in the past couple years but what every Pitt fan wants is for the last game of the season to be against Penn State.
JoePa is great and all and will go down as one of the greatest coaches in sports (not just college football) but he and Penn State will always be hated by me because the refuse to acknowledge that they are not fit for the Big Ten and that they should be playing their one true rival (home and home) every year... Pitt.
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Holy Crap, I got "When Pitt joined the Big East in 1985 JoePa was pissed that he lost the counter weight he needed to develop a new eastern college conference." and then all i read was blah, blah, blah, I love Pitt, blah, blah, blah!!! This is an article, not a comment!!
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