"Welcome to the Big Ten"


Book Description

In 1990, a decision was made that would not only change the complexion of Penn State athletics, but would also cause other Division 1 schools around the country to take a hard look at their own features -- Penn State accepted an offer from the presidents of the Big Ten to become the conference's 11th member.




Wounded Lions


Book Description

The Jerry Sandusky child molestation case stunned the nation. As subsequent revelations uncovered an athletic program operating free of oversight, university officials faced criminal charges while unprecedented NCAA sanctions hammered Penn State football and blackened the reputation of coach Joe Paterno. In Wounded Lions, acclaimed sport historian and longtime Penn State professor Ronald A. Smith heavily draws from university archives to answer the How? and Why? at the heart of the scandal. The Sandusky case was far from the first example of illegal behavior related to the football program or the university's attempts to suppress news of it. As Smith shows, decades of infighting among administrators, alumni, trustees, faculty, and coaches established policies intended to protect the university, and the football team considered synonymous with its name, at all costs. If the habits predated Paterno, they also became sanctified during his tenure. Smith names names to show how abuses of power warped the "Penn State Way" even with hires like women's basketball coach Rene Portland, who allegedly practiced sexual bias against players for decades. Smith also details a system that concealed Sandusky's horrific acts just as deftly as it whitewashed years of rules violations, coaching malfeasance, and player crime while Paterno set records and raised hundreds of millions of dollars for the university. A myth-shattering account of misplaced priorities, Wounded Lions charts the intertwined history of an elite university, its storied sports program, and the worst scandal in collegiate athletic history.




SEC Football


Book Description

A fascinating history of the Southeastern Conference and its rise from a regional league to the most dominant conference in college football. The story of the Southeastern Conference has humble origins. Born in a Knoxville hotel in 1932 after splitting away from another league, the SEC was built by southern gridiron pioneers who believed football could bring prominence and prestige back to the region. Early dynasties at Alabama and Tennessee, along with legendary coaches such as General Robert Neyland, Bear Bryant, and Shug Jordan, pushed the conference forward as the SEC and its member schools embarked on an 80-year journey to the top of college football. In SEC Football: How a Regional League Became a National Obsession, Colby Newton traces the roots of the Southeastern Conference back to the very beginning and underscores the important achievements along the way that led to the unprecedented success the league now enjoys. Featuring Heisman winners like Herschel Walker and Bo Jackson, iconic coaches like Steve Spurrier and Nick Saban, and significant moments such as the integration of SEC rosters, a momentous lawsuit against the NCAA, conference expansion, and the SEC’s historic contract with CBS, this book covers it all. The official slogan for the SEC is “It just means more.” And they are right. SEC football means more passion, more money, and more titles. From backroom deals to a captivated audience on national TV and everything in between, SEC Football is the ultimate story of how the SEC morphed from a regional league with a territorial yet fervent following into a nationwide brand that dominates the sport.




Inspirations from the Bench


Book Description

An inspiring story spanning the 1981-82 Big Ten Championship and a non-profit organization which trains young athletes to excel and give back to the community by serving seniors.




Big Feelings (An All Are Welcome Book)


Book Description

The newest picture book from the creators of All Are Welcome to help children navigate BIG FEELINGS! In their bestselling picture book All Are Welcome, Alexandra Penfold and Suzanne Kaufman celebrate kindness, inclusivity, and diversity. Now with Big Feelings, they help children navigate the emotional challenges they face in their daily lives. What should we do when things don't go to plan? We may feel mad, frustrated, or overwhelmed, but by talking it through, compromising, and seeing another point of view, we can start fresh, begin anew.




Creating the Big Ten


Book Description

Big Ten football fans pack gridiron cathedrals that hold up to 100,000 spectators. The conference's fourteen member schools share a broadcast network and a 2016 media deal worth $2.64 billion. This cultural and financial colossus grew out of a modest 1895 meeting that focused on football's brutality and encroaching professionalism in the game. Winton U. Solberg explores the relationship between higher education and collegiate football in the Big Ten's first fifty years. This formative era saw debates over eligibility and amateurism roil the sport. In particular, faculty concerned with academics clashed with coaches, university presidents, and others who played to win. Solberg follows the conference's successful early efforts to put the best interests of institutions and athletes first. Yet, as he shows, commercial concerns undid such work after World War I as sports increasingly eclipsed academics. By the 1940s, the Big Ten's impact on American sports was undeniable. It had shaped the development of intercollegiate athletics and college football nationwide while serving as a model for other athletic conferences.




Fourth and Long


Book Description

In search of the sport's old ideals amid the roaring flood of hypocrisy and greed, bestselling author John U. Bacon embedded himself in four college football programs--Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, and Northwestern--and captured the oldest, biggest, most storied league, the Big Ten, at its tipping point.--Back cover.




100 Things Penn State Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die


Book Description

Perfect for Penn State fans who think they already know everything With traditions, records, and Nittany Lions lore, this lively, detailed book explores the personalities, events, and facts every Penn State fan should know. It contains crucial information such as important dates, player nicknames, memorable moments, and outstanding achievements by singular players. From trivia on legendary players—such as John Cappelletti, Kerry Collins, Larry Johnson, LaVar Arrington, and Paul Posluszny—to knowing the best places to catch a game, 100 Things Penn State Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die is the ultimate resource guide for true fans of the Nittany Lions.




La Vie


Book Description




A Century of Orange and Blue


Book Description

A Century of Orange and Blue is just that--an in-depth look at the history of one of the Big Ten's premiere basketball programs. The University of Illinois' basketball roots date back to 1901, when the idea of men's basketball was introduced to UI director of athletics George Huff during a scrimmage at the Men's Old Gym. By 1906 a varsity basketball team was in place under the direction of Leo Hana and coach Elwood Brown. That team defeated Champaign High School, 71-4, on Jan. 6, 1906, before losing to more formidable college teams in Purdue and Indiana. Some 100 years later, the Fighting Illini have hoisted 15 Big Ten championship banners and sent four teams to the Final Four in search of a NCAA championship. From the Whiz Kids of '42 to the Flyin' Illini of '89 to the Big Ten champs of '04, A Century of Orange and Blue is full of fond memories of fantastic teams, recounted by authors Loren Tate and Jared Gelfond and the amazing players and coaches that put Illini basketball on the national map.