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Students react to Commonwealth Campus Closures | Penn State, State College News

As Penn State prepares to close seven Commonwealth campuses in 2027, students say the decision will not only disrupt their education, but also dismantle the tight-knit communities they’ve come to call home.  Dillon Yinger said Penn State York isn’t just a place to take classes, but a community. “The smaller class sizes, the supportive faculty […]

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As Penn State prepares to close seven Commonwealth campuses in 2027, students say the decision will not only disrupt their education, but also dismantle the tight-knit communities they’ve come to call home. 

Dillon Yinger said Penn State York isn’t just a place to take classes, but a community.

“The smaller class sizes, the supportive faculty and the familiar faces on campus really made it feel like home,” Yinger, a second-year studying business, said.

Penn State York has a student-to-faculty ratio of 11 to one, and the average class size is 15 students.

“For many of us, this campus has been a great opportunity to be close to our families and support systems,” Yinger said. “Losing it would mean more than just the loss of buildings — it would be the loss of a place that truly cares about its students and their success.”

Smaller campuses mean more individualized attention from faculty to students, and it also means seeing more familiar faces on a day to day basis.

Myah Fullard said this was true at Penn State New Kensington, which had 432 enrolled students in 2024.

“In going to Penn State New Kensington, I was able to form so many new bonds, from cheerleading to just people I see everyday,” Fullard, a second-year studying psychology, said. “That has sadly had to fall short due to the recent decision.”

Fullard said she feels an instant relief walking across New Kensington’s campus.

“The campus is honestly like a family in how everyone is close to one another and that we all know each other in some way,” Fullard said. “I’m sad about the decision to close the campus.”

Sierra Hildebrand said that hearing the decision to close Penn State Wilkes-Barre was “devastating.”

“I don’t think it’s fair to the professors, that they’ve poured their hearts and souls into helping students get the most out of their academic journey there, to just be out of a job now,” Hildebrand, a fourth-year studying accounting, said. “And it’s also not fair to current sophomores, because they’ll need to transfer someplace else for their senior year.”

Now having transferred to the Abington campus, Hildebrand said she feels lost in such a large campus.

“I’ve never felt more alone at this campus,” Hildebrand said. “Nobody talks to anyone. It’s just very different.”

Over in southwest Pennsylvania, Penn State Fayette is the only baccalaureate-granting institution in the county. Emma Eckert said Penn State Fayette is a vital part of the local community.

“The campus has offered not only access to quality higher education for rural students, but also a sense of identity, opportunity, and pride for the region,” Eckert, a fourth-year studying psychology, said. “Its closure signals a significant loss, not just for current students and faculty, but for the broader community that has long depended on it for educational, cultural and economic support.”

Eckert said the Penn State Fayette community is already grieving the closure.

“We just don’t understand how a thriving campus like ours, who does so many things within the community and raises so much money for THON — the most other than the main campus — for so many years in a row is being selected to be cut over other campuses who we never hear about,” Eckert said.

Tyler Hanson said the decision to close Penn State DuBois will affect upcoming generations of students.

“This is (going to) shut down a lot of students’ options for going to school,” Hanson, a second-year studying wildlife technology, said. “They’re just (going to) go into the work field instead, which is terrible, because education is what we need in this world and not money.”

Trevor Hansen, another second-year studying wildlife technology, said he feels angry over the university’s decision to close the campus.

“I think if Bendapudi really thought it was a great deal to do it, she should have come here, walked around and talked to all the students themselves and all the faculty,” Hansen said.

Beyond the classroom, students say the closures will disrupt key parts of campus life. At Mont Alto, sports have been a major draw for students and a source of connection.

Ashlyn Vandenbree said her younger teammates on the Mont Alto volleyball team will have to scramble to figure out how to finish their degree.

“In terms of team sports, many recruits that have committed are now changing their minds and committing elsewhere, as we can not guarantee them a full four years to play,” Vandenbree, a third-year studying project and supply chain management, said. “This impacts the success of every individual team at Mont Alto and the Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference, which might go away since half of the campuses are gone.”

Seated in Mercer County, Penn State Shenango is the smallest Commonwealth campus in terms of enrollment. It was created to expand higher education options in the area.

After a “nightmare” first year of college in Miami, Will Perry, his brother and their two friends transferred to Penn State Shenango.

“We already have so much more support up here,” Perry, a third-year studying business, said. “It’s just sad we can’t get it from the people who make decisions.”

Perry, his brother and their friends spoke about their freshman year experience with their old coach, who knew the baseball coach in Shenango. They then spoke with the Shenango coach, liked what they heard, came up to visit and found a place to move in.

“I wanted a fresh start, as did everyone in my house, and that’s what we got at Shenango,” Perry said. “So it’ll definitely be a place I’ll never forget.”

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Penn State’s campus closures reflect a wider national issue for land-grant universities

As Penn State faces scrutiny over its decision to close seven Commonwealth campuses by 2027,…

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Brian Kelly responds to joke from reporter about his golf handicap: ‘I’ve had other things to do’

As LSU coach Brian Kelly spoke with reporters at SEC Media Days, a reporter joked with him about his golf handicap. It was a bit of banter during a breakout session during Monday’s opening day of the SEC Kickoff. Kelly responded by joking about how busy he’s been through June and into July. He said […]

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As LSU coach Brian Kelly spoke with reporters at SEC Media Days, a reporter joked with him about his golf handicap. It was a bit of banter during a breakout session during Monday’s opening day of the SEC Kickoff.

Kelly responded by joking about how busy he’s been through June and into July. He said he “had other things to do” as the recruiting trail heated up.

June was a big recruiting month as official visit season ramped up. LSU was busy on the trail, as well, as the program builds out a class headlined by two five-star recruits. That means Kelly didn’t necessarily have time to work on his game.

“You know what? I’ve had other things to do in the month of June. … It goes quickly,” Kelly joked during the breakout.

SEC coaches’ golf games have been a topic of discussion as of late amid Auburn’s struggles on the recruiting trail. Hugh Freeze drew criticism for hitting the links, but he pushed back on that last week during an interview with David Pollack.

LSU has 16 players as part of its 2026 recruiting class, led by Five Star Plus+ athlete Lamar Brown, who committed last week. He is the No. 2 overall player from the cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking.

LSU is getting read for Year 4 under Brian Kelly and looking to rebound from an up-and-down 2024 season. The Tigers finished 9-4 overall and 5-3 in SEC play, but will have their starting quarterback in the fold once again. Garrett Nussmeier is back for one more year after opting not to declare for the NFL Draft, looking to take a leap in Year 2 as the starter.

Nussmeier threw for 4,052 yards and 29 touchdowns, to 10 interceptions. LSU has a strong history of second-year starters after Joe Burrow and Jayden Daniels’ success, and the potential Top-10 pick will look to follow a similar path.

However, Brian Kelly pointed out the expectation isn’t to be either of those players. The goal, quite simply, is to win a championship.

“I would say that when you’re comparing him to Jayden Daniels and Joe Burrow, that’s a high bar for anybody, right?” Kelly said. But Garrett is at LSU because he loves LSU. He wants to lead our football team to a championship. If the Heisman follows with that, I think he’s good with that.

“I answer the question this way because all of our conversations with him aren’t about individual goals. They’re about how do I lead this football team to a championship. All we’ve seen is him leading, him being selfless. His selflessness is going to be the differentiator from last year to this year, as well as the experience he had playing against really good SEC teams.”



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Dartmouth Rowing Sending Five Student-Athletes, One Coach to World Under-23 Championships

HANOVER, N.H. — Dartmouth rowing will have six total representatives at the World Under-23 Championships in Poland later this month. Men’s lightweight rowing is sending two athletes and a coach, men’s heavyweight rowing is sending two athletes, with one athlete from women’s rowing competing.   The Under-23 Championships are set for July 23-27 in Poznan, […]

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HANOVER, N.H. — Dartmouth rowing will have six total representatives at the World Under-23 Championships in Poland later this month. Men’s lightweight rowing is sending two athletes and a coach, men’s heavyweight rowing is sending two athletes, with one athlete from women’s rowing competing.
 
The Under-23 Championships are set for July 23-27 in Poznan, Poland. To learn more, please click here.
 
On the men’s lightweight side, Cosmo Hondrogen will compete for the United States as the lightweight single sculler, with Valentin Wang-Norderud rowing for Norway in the lightweight double. Head coach Trevor Michelson will also be heading to Poland as a coach of Hondrogen, and the heavyweight quad.

Hondrogen and Wang-Norderud were both key members of Dartmouth’s varsity eight that finished second in the varsity eight and in total team points at the IRA National Championship, marking the program’s top team points standing in program history. It was also Dartmouth’s first medal at nationals since 2012. The varsity eight finished with a time of 5:32.250 in the grand final, less than three seconds behind first-place Harvard and ahead of MIT, Penn, Princeton and Navy. Hondrogen sat in the six seat, with Wang-Norderud in bow.

 

For multiple years, Michelson has coached with the U.S. Under-23 team through selection camp and competition. Last year, he led the men’s four to a gold medal at the world championships.

 

Meanwhile, James Frederikson of men’s heavyweight rowing will compete for Australia in the eight, with Aron Kalmar a member of the coxless four for Hungary.

 

Frederikson was a member of the second varsity eight this past season that finished third at Eastern Sprints to earn a bronze medal. Kalmar rowed in the varsity eight, which came in second to earn silver at sprints, along with a third-place finish at the IRA National Championship — marking the Big Green varsity eight’s best finish since 1994. The varsity eight had an undefeated dual season as well.

 

On the women’s side, Áine Ley is a member of the United States Under-23 team and the eight for a second straight summer. Last year, she helped the Red, White and Blue place second in the World Championships. This past school year, Ley was a key member of the varsity eight, which finished in fourth place at the Ivy League Championship — the varsity’s best finish at Ivies since 2014. Ley was a first team All-Ivy honoree as a junior. The Big Green advanced to the NCAA Championship for the first time since 2011.

 



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Johnny Manziel Explains Why He Would’ve Had to Take ‘Pay Cut’ to Go to NFL in NIL Era

Johnny Manziel was one of the most prolific college quarterbacks in recent memory, both in his ability on the field and his stardom off the field, but he missed out on the NIL era. If Manziel’s success at Texas A&M came a few years down the road, he thinks he would’ve had a hard time […]

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Johnny Manziel was one of the most prolific college quarterbacks in recent memory, both in his ability on the field and his stardom off the field, but he missed out on the NIL era.

If Manziel’s success at Texas A&M came a few years down the road, he thinks he would’ve had a hard time leaving college for the NFL.

“I really feel like I would’ve taken a pay cut had I gone to the NFL,” he told ESPN’s Greg McElroy (9:20 mark). “That’s really what it would’ve been… I feel guys who are playing at a high level, who are really noticeable and really marketable are making a great amount of money to the point where guys have the opportunity to stay in school rather than go to the NFL early.”

Manziel took over as Texas A&M’s starter in 2012 and had a season for the ages, throwing for 3,706 yards and 26 touchdowns while adding 1,410 yards and 21 touchdowns on the ground, enough to earn him a Heisman Trophy.

He had a great final season with the Aggies in 2013, throwing for 4,114 yards and 37 touchdowns and rushing for 759 yards and nine touchdowns.

According to a 2013 report from ESPN, Texas A&M generated $740 million in donations from Sept. 1, 2012, to Aug. 31, 2013. Of course, some of those donations likely came out of the excitement about recently moving to the SEC, but it’s hard to deny Manziel’s impact.

Nowadays, boosters and fans can donate to NIL collectives that are used to pay top players. It’s safe to say Manziel being in College Station would have given Texas A&M one of the biggest collectives in college football.

But Manziel was arguably just as prolific off the field as he was on it. He sat courtside at NBA games and hung out with celebrities like LeBron James and Drake. If he played in the NIL era, nearly every company would have been trying to sign him to a marketing deal.

Manziel ultimately didn’t pan out in the NFL, but how much money he could have made in the NIL era remains one of the biggest hypothetical questions.



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State Theatre events to look forward to this week | Lifestyle

This week, the State Theatre will host several concerts and movies for a range of ages. Wednesday, July 16 The Disney animated movie “Wish” (2023) will show at noon in The Friedman Auditorium. The story follows a young girl’s powerful wish upon a star. Thursday, July 17 “Enter the Dragon” (1973) will show at 7:30 […]

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This week, the State Theatre will host several concerts and movies for a range of ages.

Wednesday, July 16

The Disney animated movie “Wish” (2023) will show at noon in The Friedman Auditorium. The story follows a young girl’s powerful wish upon a star.

Thursday, July 17

“Enter the Dragon” (1973) will show at 7:30 p.m. in The Friedman Auditorium. It’s an R-rated action movie starring Bruce Lee which is about a Shaolin martial artist attempting to spy on a former monk turned opium lord.

Friday, July 18

“Full Metal Jacket” (1987) will show in The Friedman Auditorium at 8 p.m. Stanley Kubrick’s dark comedy shines a light on the after-effects of The Vietnam War.

The Montvales will perform in The Attic at 8 p.m. General admission will cost $39. The pair is based out of Cincinnati, Ohio, and they’re touring their latest album “Born Strangers.”

Saturday, July 19

The Steel Wheels will perform on July 19 at 8 p.m. The advanced ticket price is $37, and tickets will cost $42 at the door. The band has a long history with rotating members since 2005, and they host their own music festival in the Shenandoah Valley along with touring in the summer.

Sunday, July 20

“The Never Ending Story” (1984) will show at 2:30 p.m. in The Friedman Auditorium. It’s a fantasy epic about a boy disappearing into a new world through a mystical book.

Starship Troopers (1997) will show at 7:30 p.m. in The Friedman Auditorium. Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards and Dina Meyer starred in the sci-fi movie about battling alien bugs.

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Summer events in State College

Throughout July and August, State College offers a range of events and activities, giving re…

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Former Bama QB Greg McElroy says someone ‘very much in the know’ thinks Saban ‘not done coaching’

On Monday, former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy said he had heard that his former head coach, Nick Saban, could return to coaching. According to McElroy, co-host of WJOX’s “McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning,” someone “very much in the know” thought Saban was not done coaching. The legendary coach retired from coaching in 2024, citing […]

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On Monday, former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy said he had heard that his former head coach, Nick Saban, could return to coaching.

According to McElroy, co-host of WJOX’s “McElroy and Cubelic in the Morning,” someone “very much in the know” thought Saban was not done coaching.

The legendary coach retired from coaching in 2024, citing the landscape of college football with NIL, the transfer portal and other aspects for retiring.

“[T]his is a little bit out of left field, but the question was asked of me … a very much in the know person that I have a lot of respect for and have spent a lot of time around and just really, really admire,” McElroy said live at SEC Media Days. “They seem to think Nick Saban’s not done coaching. I had a similar reaction. He’s pretty adamant that he thinks Nick Saban will be coaching again.”

“Do you buy that?” he asked ESPN’s Paul Finebaum.

Finebaum replied, “No,” adding, “Greg, you know Nick Saban better than I do, but I ran into somebody the other day who spends time with Saban in Florida – you can imagine where – and said that he is literally having the time of his life. And why wouldn’t he? I’m much closer to Nick Saban’s age than you are and I can assure you, when you have everything you want and you start playing golf at the best golf clubs in America and you start making friends who belong to even better golf clubs and you make a lot of money for doing very little work on TV, the interest in doing what he walked away from is not very high.

He continued, “I mean, he had a better situation at Alabama the day he left than anywhere he goes, let’s say it’s next year. Now, I don’t know whether it’s college or pros – could he be talked into something in the NFL? I don’t know how, because I don’t know that itch burns anymore, either. But my opinion is Nick Saban is done in coaching.”

“Look, if it wasn’t someone notable, I’d never say a word,” McElroy clarified.

To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email [email protected].

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News: F1 TV, CFP Expansion, Allison Williams and more

Formula 1 is reportedly looking to keep F1 TV in the United States under its next rights deal; SEC commissioner Greg Sankey discusses expansion of the College Football Playoff; and Allison Williams is said to be joining NFL broadcasts on FOX Sports. Plus additional news surrounding the NHL, NBA, ESPYS and Players Era Festival. Formula […]

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Formula 1 is reportedly looking to keep F1 TV in the United States under its next rights deal; SEC commissioner Greg Sankey discusses expansion of the College Football Playoff; and Allison Williams is said to be joining NFL broadcasts on FOX Sports. Plus additional news surrounding the NHL, NBA, ESPYS and Players Era Festival.

Formula 1 aiming to continue F1 TV in United States

With reports indicating that Formula 1 is leaning towards selecting Apple as its United States partner holding broadcasting rights starting next year, the motorsport league could remain accessible through a familiar domain. Formula One Management, the company owned by Liberty Media, is said to be aiming to continue F1 TV in the country within its next rights deal, according to a source cited by Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal.

This service first launched in 2018, and it has granted users the ability to stream all race weekend sessions and various other features. The continuation of F1 TV in the United States would provide viewers with two OTT platforms to view races and other events surrounding the entity. The F1 TV platform has co-existed as ESPN has broadcast the races through linear and digital platforms under media rights deals dating back to 2018.

Dylan Byers of Puck News recently reported that new Liberty Media chief executive officer Derek Chang met with Apple executives Tim Cook and Eddy Cue at the Allen & Company Sun Valley Conference. On top of that, he conveyed that Apple offered $150 million per annum for the rights and explained that Liberty Media would be likely to accept the proposal.


Sankey expresses support for CFP expansion

As the format of the Colllege Football Playoff remains ambiguous after next season, Sankey expressed his support for its expansion beyond 12 teams, explaining that it “can be positive and should be pursued.” Yet he mentioned that the CFP could remain in its 12-team format containing the five conference champions if no agreement regarding a new format is ultimately reached.

At the moment, the 12 participating teams consist of the five conference champions and the next seven highest-ranked schools as determined by the CFP selection committee. There have been discussions about a model in which the aforementioned conference champions plus 11 at-large teams would qualify, and it was reported by Heather Dinich of ESPN as “gaining traction” after the conference held its spring meetings in late May. Brett Yormark, the commissioner of the Big 12 Conference, explained last week that the 5+11 model would be “the right format” for the conference long term, which would grant two automatic bids per year to the entity.

ESPN and the College Football Playoff reached a new six-year agreement reportedly worth $7.8 billion starting in the 2026-27 season that grants the network rights to the entire tournament, along with placing the National Championship Game on ABC for the first time.


Williams joining FOX Sports NFL broadcasts

FOX Sports has promoted sideline reporter Allison Williams to its coverage of the National Football League, according to a report from Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports. Williams, who first joined the company in August 2022 following a stint at ESPN, has been contributing to college football broadcasts working alongside play-by-play announcer Jason Benetti and analyst Brock Huard for three seasons.

Under her new role, she will be assuming the position previously held by Laura Okmin, who had been with the company for 23 years. Okmin had previously worked with play-by-play announcer Kevin Kugler and analyst Daryl “Moose” Johnston, but it remains unknown if Williams will pair with the same broadcast team.


Plus: NHL tripleheader, NBA, ESPYS, Players Era Festival

  • The NHL will begin the 2025-26 regular season with a tripleheader of games airing on Tuesday, Oct. 7 televised exclusively by ESPN in the United States and Rogers Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada. Matchups include Blackhawks-Panthers (5 p.m. EST), Penguins-Rangers (8 p.m. EST) and Avalanche-Kings (10:30 p.m. EST), and the full regular-season schedule will be revealed this Wednesday at 1 p.m. EST.
  • A potential national streaming RSN for the NBA may not launch until the 2027-28 season, according to a report by Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal. While sources cited indicate that the league could have created the platform amid finalizing its national media rights deals, it was said to have considered local television as “a prohibitive revenue source.”
  • ESPN has revealed that this Wednesday’s presentation of the 2025 “ESPYS” from The Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles, Calif. will honor Diana Taurasi and Alex Morgan with the Icon Award recognizing their careers and impact in professional sports. The network is also going to air an edition of “SportsCenter: 50 States in 50 Days” from the red carpet featuring anchors Kevin Neghandi and Elle Duncan.
  • TNT Sports will exclusively present the 31-game Players Era college basketball tournament for the second consecutive year during Thanksgiving Week. Various prominent men’s and women’s basketball teams are featured as part of the schedule, such as Tennessee, St. John’s, Creighton and Rutgers.



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