Why Penn State football, Matt Campbell are honoring Joe Paterno

· Yahoo Sports

Joe Paterno is the focus of a new exhibit in the all-sports museum in renovating Beaver Stadium − the university's most significant remembrance of the late Penn State coach since he was fired in 2011.

Visit newsbetting.bond for more information.

The Paterno Family Football Experience Room opens Sept. 3 and features Paterno’s original office desk, personal artifacts and a "curated timeline documenting significant moments" from his six decades at Penn State.

The permanent exhibit was financed through donations, including a lead gift from an anonymous donor to create and name the space for the Paterno family, according to university officials. It also will include "digital displays featuring program milestones, championship seasons, landmark victories, interviews and historic footage."

The exhibit opens as Penn State football begins its 2026 season with new head coach Matt Campbell and an unprecedented roster against the Marshall Thundering Herd in Beaver Stadium.

It also, coincidentally enough, opens a few days before Jerry Sandusky, whose child-sex abuse scandal led to Paterno's firing, expects to appear in Centre County Court to attend a hearing for one of accusers.

The late Paterno joined the Nittany Lions' staff as an assistant in 1950 and became the head coach in 1966. He won and FBS-record 409 games over the next 46 years and was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2007.

"Penn State Football’s history belongs to generations of student-athletes, coaches, staff and supporters who helped build this program,” Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft said in a statement. "This room gives us an opportunity to preserve that history, present it thoughtfully and create an experience that connects the proud tradition of Penn State Football with its future.”

Paterno was the country's longest-tenured coach in 2011 when the university's board of trustees fired him after Sandusky was charged with child sexual abuse crimes. He was convicted of 45 criminal counts related to the alleged abuse in 2012.

The following year, six months after Paterno died at age 85, Penn State removed his statute that stood outside Beaver Stadium.

The university appeared to distance itself from Paterno and his legacy ever since.

The museum exhibit, though, could be seen as a distinct turn. It will include Penn State's Heisman and bowl trophies, All-America recognition and other individual honors. and a video exploring Nittanyville, the White Out and other Penn State traditions.

Campbell has also made prominent outreaches to Penn State lettermen since arriving, as well as the Paterno family. He has a framed photo of Paterno in his office, had a family dinner at the Paterno home and invited Sue Paterno to speak to his team. Jay, Paterno's son and former assistant, has been a guest at Nittany Lion preseason practices.

.oembed-frame {width:100%;height:100%;margin:0;border:0;}

"What makes Penn State special is the history of this place,” Campbell said this week. "There are so many key figures from coaches and players that have made up the last 100 plus years of Penn State football. To me, coming in here, it was about understanding that the history is the superpower of Penn State.

"It’s who’s come before us and what they’ve done to allow us to have a platform to play in front of this unbelievable crowd and this unbelievable fan base. Those are the people, their blood, their sweat, their tears, their time, their effort. They built this opportunity for us ..."

Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at  [email protected] and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Why Penn State football, Matt Campbell are honoring Joe Paterno

Read full story at source