Onward State

Whatever you say, coach. Former Penn State football head coach James Franklin said the school fired him without giving him a chance to fix Penn State’s challenges in 2025, per The Athletic’s Ralph Russo. “Well, it’s unheard of because people have had challenges and had a chance to fix it,” Franklin said in Russo’s story.

Penn State football’s offensive line is its largest unit, both physically and literally. The room includes 19 players who weigh in at a combined 5,919 pounds and stand at an average of 6’5″. Based on the philosophies of head coach Matt Campbell and offensive line coach Ryan Clanton, Penn State’s gargantuan gridiron gang will be tasked with setting the tone in the trenches on gamedays come fall. But who are the faces behind the Nittany Lions’ newest brigade of blockers?

Multiple Centre County fire companies responded to a fire at Penn State’s Alpha Zeta house Thursday afternoon. Alpha Fire Company was dispatched at about 3:45 p.m. to the frat house located at 360 North Burrowes Road. Boalsburg, Pleasant Gap, and Undine fire companies were also dispatched to the scene. Upon arrival, heavy smoke was visible coming from the roof. Boalsburg, Pleasant Gap, and Undine fire companies later also arrived on scene.

Penn State men’s basketball will return to the historic Palestra for a matchup against Pitt on Sunday, November 8, the program announced Thursday morning. Penn State. Pitt. Palestra.

Well, folks, we’ve made it over the halfway point of summer, and you know what that means: The one weekend every summer when there is a perfect excuse to travel to Happy Valley…Arts Fest! With so many amazing activities to bring you and your friends together for an awesome weekend, what’s a better way to amplify the fun than with a playlist?

When someone comes to you to share a decades-old story, you listen. That’s exactly what happened to Michael Melillo when his wife’s grandfather sat him down and entrusted him with his war story, one he had never before shared with another soul. After he passed, Melillo set out to honor the veteran’s story by writing it down for the world to experience. Melillo grew up moving around constantly. He spent time all over the country, ultimately ending his high school years in Lawrenceville, New Jersey.

Penn State men’s hockey star Gavin McKenna’s mother, Krystal McKenna, entered a pretrial diversionary program Wednesday that could lead to the drop of the misdemeanor charges, per Centre Daily Times. Krystal was put into an accelerated rehabilitative disposition program for six months and was ordered to complete one day of community service.

July in State College means one thing: The Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts is finally here! As you make your way back to State College and reunite with your friends, don’t forget to check out all the art and activities at this year’s Arts Fest. One of the summer’s most anticipated festivals brings over 125,000 guests each year. The Festival will take place from Wednesday, July 8, through Sunday, July 12.

Penn State is hot on the recruiting trail for 2027 and 2028, and the Nittany Lions recently received some good news regarding the latter in the form of four-star quarterback James Armstrong. Armstrong’s commitment this past week marked a huge get for Matt Campbell and company, as the young talent from Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, may be the future at the signal-caller position for the blue and white in as little as two years.

A new regime has inherited responsibility for the physical development of every single Penn State football player after longtime director of strength and conditioning Chuck Losey followed James Franklin to Virginia Tech in December. The man who received the bulk of that pressure? Reid Kagy, who has spent six total seasons working alongside Matt Campbell at Iowa State, including the last three as the Cyclones’ director of football strength and conditioning.