By Chris Buchignani | March 4, 2026
You know what I miss, as a lifelong fan of the Nittany Lions? The Penn State Football Story. Sunday mornings after every game, win or lose, I was tuning in—first with my dad and then eventually with my wife. One last look back on the weekend’s result before turning the page. I can still hear Charles Dumas’ booming voiceover that opened every episode: “They put on college football’s most distinctive uniform…”
The team behind that show got a lot right, including the title. Each week, you received exactly what its name implied—the latest installment in the ongoing story of Penn State football. Every game added a new chapter to a serialized narrative that had been unfolding for well over a century, going all the way back to 1887. The better you understood your place on that evolving timeline, the more you enjoyed the experience of following the team you loved.
In that same spirit of storytelling, I’m honored to bring my own version of the Penn State football story to one of Happy Valley’s most distinctive and charming venues, Pine Grove Hall, beginning this Thursday at 7 p.m.
Adapted from the class I teach for Penn State OLLI, I’ll be covering the program’s entire history—from its inception to the present day—in three sessions (March 5, April 4, April 30). This week, we’ll start at the beginning and trace the path of Penn State football from the muddy Old Main lawn during the Atherton administration to the mid-20th century. You’ll learn about:
- How the nascent national obsession with football found early expression in the Nittany Valley, as growing school spirit found an outlet on the playing field
- The greatest Penn State football team no one remembers or talks about—the Nittany Lions of 1912, led by three College Hall of Famers
- Hugo Bezdek, a character unlike any other, who took the Lions across the country (and on cab rides over Los Angeles sidewalks) to their first Rose Bowl—and then nearly fought the opposing coach at midfield
- The roots of our campus mythology, as names like coach Bob Higgins, Steve Suhey, and Wally Triplett led a team without scholarships into Penn State legend
- And how the hiring of Charles “Rip” Engle from Brown set the stage for an era of unprecedented success that would change the program and the University forever
It’s a great story—one inspired by love for Old State and the Nittany Valley—that will help you deepen your fandom and extract a little more joy from every tailgate and touchdown. I hope to see you there (and to enjoy a beer or two afterward)!
INSIDE THE STORY OF PENN STATE FOOTBALL: SESSION 1 – 1880S TO 1960S
TOMORROW, Thursday, Mar 5 @ 7:00PM — 9:00PM
The First Session of a Three-Part Conversation Series at Pine Grove Hall presented by Connect Happy Valley. Read about it here.
Chris Buchignani is cohost of The Obligatory PSU Podcast and The Obligatory PSU Pregame Show, entering its 10th season this Fall. He teaches a course on Penn State Football History for Penn State OLLI.
Watch this week’s Connect Happy Valley Sports Week ahead.
