ESPN to air contest versus Big East team
The Nittany Lion basketball team's Dec. 9 contest at Seton Hall has been selected for broadcast by ESPN Regional television. Local clearances will be announced at a later date. Tip time for the game, to be held at the Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, N.J., has been set for 1:00 p.m. Penn State now has 18 regular season contests scheduled to be televised on the 2006-07 season, at least four on ESPN's national networks.
The Seton Hall game will be one of 12 contests against 2006 NCAA Tournament teams for Penn State on the year. The Nittany Lions and Pirates will be meeting for the fifth time and first since a 71-57 Penn State victory at Seton Hall in 1973. Penn State owns a 4-0 lead in the series. Seton Hall posted an 18-12 mark last year and returns three starters and eight lettermen.
Penn State will play home exhibition games against Edinboro (Nov. 1) and Shippensburg (Nov. 6) before opening coach Ed DeChellis' fourth campaign on Friday, Nov. 10 in the Bryce Jordan Center against Morehead State. The Nittany Lions are coming off their best campaign in five years having posted a 15-15 record and hosted an opening round NIT game last season.
Junior forward Geary Claxton, a 2006 first team USBWA All-District I selection, returns as the second leading scorer (15.2 ppg) and top rebounder (7.5 rpg) in the Big Ten. Last year's Big Ten Freshman of the Year Jamelle Cornley (11.4 ppg/5.7 rpg) also returns to the starting lineup. The Nittany Lions return 80 percent or more of their scoring, rebounding, assists, blocks and steals from last year's team.
EA NCAA Challenge begins play next week
The 2006 EA SPORTS NCAA Challenge presented by Best Buy, a competition that travels to 16 colleges across the United States, will begin on October 3 at the HUB.
A cash prize of $10,000, and bragging rights as the nation's best EA SPORTS NCAA Football player, will be up for grabs with 128 gamers (must be students) competing at each college. The NCAA Football tournament is played exclusively on the Xbox, and only one winner from each college advances to the Finals in Orlando.
C-17 to fly over field before Northwestern
Prior to the Penn State vs. Northwestern football game at 3:30 p.m tomorrow, a C-17 US Air Force Globemaster will fly over Beaver Stadium, approaching from south and heading north.
Adding to the Penn State theme, the pilot directing the C-17 will be United States Airforce Colonel Michael Speer, a 1984 graduate of Penn State.
Track and field team adds Spence to staff
Head men's and women's coach Beth Alford-Sullivan and the Penn State track and field programs announced the addition of Fritz Spence to the coaching staff. Spence brings five years of experience at Missouri State University and a proven record of success to Happy Valley.
A three-time Missouri Valley Conference champion in the triple jump at Missouri State, Spence was the conference and school record holder. He earned his degree in 1997 and began coaching for the Bears in 2001. While at MSU, he was involved in recruitment and administrative tasks, in addition to his duties as a coach in a variety of events. He also coordinated strength and conditioning programs.
The 2006 NCAA Women's Outdoor Track and Field Mideast Region Assistant Coach of the Year for Jumps/Combine Events, Spence coached 14 conference champions, 26 all-conference performers, 22 regional qualifiers, 10 NCAA qualifiers, and three All-Americans at Missouri State. Spence was part of a coaching staff that won two Missouri Valley Conference Team Championships in both indoor (2003 and '04) and outdoor (2002 and '03), while also finishing three times as the conference runner-up for the team championship (indoor 2002, outdoor 2004 and '06). During his tenure, the Bears also placed third three times (2005 and '06 indoor, 2005 outdoor).
Fritz joins cross country John Gondak and director or track operations Jess Riden on the staff.
