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| Formation | 2003 |
|---|---|
| Purpose | College basketball student section |
| Headquarters | Bryce Jordan Center |
| Location | |
President | Kyle Kroboth |
| Affiliations | Penn State Nittany Lions men's basketball |
| Website | www |
Legion of Blue is the student cheering section supporting the Penn State Nittany Lions men's basketball team. The cheering section has been around as long as the Penn State basketball team, but the organization was formed in 2003 as the Nittwits before changing its name to Nittany Nation in 2007. In 2015, Nittany Nation was rebranded as Legion of Blue in an effort to better organize the group. Legion of Blue was named after the Legion of Boom, the nickname of the mid-2010s Seattle Seahawks defense that was popular during the time of the rebranding. ESPN and the Big Ten Network have featured the section during live game action.
The Legion of Blue stands courtside behind the team benches, behind the basket near the Penn State bench, and behind the pep band in back of the other basket. During big games, there is student overflow seating available in the upper deck on the pep band side. The Legion of Blue supports the Nittany Lions and makes life as difficult as possible for the opposing team by standing and making noise through the entire game, making signs, and leading chants.
All Penn State students who purchase season or single game tickets are automatically members of the Legion of Blue and are eligible to sit in designated Legion of Blue seating areas and take advantage of promotions such as free food before games and t-shirt giveaways. During the final TV timeout of each game, Legion of Blue officer Ethan Cook, better known by his persona as "PSU TV Guy," hands out a free flat screen TV to the student showing the most spirit. [1]
In the fall, season tickets are sold for $35, and individual tickets can be purchased for $5 at the Bryce Jordan Center on gamedays. For many high profile and weekend games, individual student tickets can be purchased in advance in the HUB-Robeson Center. Some students have noted that Penn State basketball season tickets pay for themselves after considering money saved from eating the Legion of Blue's free food before games. [2]
The Legion of Blue traditionally experiences increased membership during successful seasons and the years following. The Bryce Jordan Center sold out for the first time since 2011 during a February, 2020 match vs. Minnesota, due in large part to a strong showing by the Legion of Blue. [3] Penn State went on to win the game 83-77. Other games with high student attendance include Penn State's 2011 Senior Night vs. Ohio State and Penn State's 2020 THON Hoops game vs. Ohio State.
Some seasons, the Legion of Blue plans away game bus trips to both conference and non-conference gymnasiums. Past excursions include visits to Seton Hall, Michigan, St. Joseph's, Penn, and Virginia Tech. The Legion of Blue has brought busloads of students to Madison Square Garden several times: twice for Penn State's National Invitation Tournament (NIT) championship runs in 2009 and 2018, and also for the inaugural B1G Super Saturday in 2016. [4] [5]
Source: [6]
The Legion of Blue is run by an executive board of undergraduate students that are especially passionate about Penn State basketball. Board members help organize promotions and free food at games, interact with Penn State students and fans on social media, organize events such as the annual "Fill the Forum," and spread Penn State hoops fandom across campus. Applications for new board members open each spring following the end of the basketball season.
| President | Kyle Kroboth |
| Vice President | Noah Odige |
| Treasurer | Tom Perun |
| Secretary | Srikar Rao |
| Executive Officer | James Garcia |
| Executive Officer | Andrew Glenn |
| Executive Officer | Jacob Hallowell |
| Executive Officer | Amelia Houser |
| Executive Officer | Carly Knowlton |
| Executive Officer | Madi McSherry |
| Executive Officer | Luke Miller |
| Executive Officer | Laurant Morris |
| Year | President | Vice President | Treasurer | Secretary | Social Media/Web | Executive Officer | Executive Officer | Executive Officer | Executive Officer | Executive Officer | Executive Officer | Executive Officer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | Jon Flatley | Garren Wolfgang | Noah Odige | Kyle Kroboth | None | Ryan Hodinko | Carly Knowlton | Olia Lantier | Madi McSherry | Tom Perun | Srikar Rao | Brayden Yoder |
| 2020-21 | Madisen Patanella | Jon Flatley | Garren Wolfgang | Ryan Hodinko | Morgan Raup | Ethan Cook | Cheyenne Johnson | Kyle Kroboth | Madi McSherry | Noah Odige | Tom Perun | |
| 2019-20 | Vinny Nardella | Liz Cooney | Alexis Soo | Madisen Patanella | None | Thomas Carvo | Jon Flatley | Ryan Hodinko | Morgan Raup | Dominico Vano | Garren Wolfgang | Kyle Yoder |
| 2018-19 | Andrew Flatley | Mercedes Fraistat | Vinny Nardella | Liz Cooney | None | Thomas Carvo | Joe Nadonley | Matt O'Connor | Madisen Patanella | Alexis Soo | Tyler Steiner | Kyle Yoder |
| 2017-18 | Nick Malizia | Andrew Flatley | Mercedes Fraistat | Liz Cooney | None | Noah Bergren | Thomas Carvo | Eric Fenstermaker | Joe Nadonley | Vinny Nardella | Tyler Steiner | Alex Trias |
| 2016-17 | Greg Zelinske | Nick Malizia | Mercedes Fraistat | Andrew Flatley | Mike Kwasnik | Patrick Burns | Liz Cooney | Shannon Jacob | Joe Nadonley | Alex Trias | Gavin Vanstone | None |
| 2015-16 | Michael "Spike" Anthony | Nick Malizia | Adriana Lacy | Steven Landman | Kristina Nauman | Andrew Flatley | Scotty Heeter | Mitchell Hutula | Joe Malespini | Matt Macnamera | Matt O'Connor | Greg Zelinske |
| 2021-22 | Jon Flatley |
| 2020-21 | Madisen Patanella |
| 2019-20 | Vinny Nardella |
| 2018-19 | Andrew Flatley |
| 2017-18 | Nick Malizia |
| 2016-17 | Greg Zelinske |
| 2015-16 | Michael "Spike" Anthony |
| 2014-15 | Kristina Nauman |
| 2013-14 | Darnell Brady |
| 2012-13 | Maddy Pryor |
| 2011-12 | Steve Huber |
| 2010-11 | Katie Huber |
| 2009-10 | George Beatty |
| 2008-09 | George Beatty |
| 2007-08 | Justin Casavant |
| 2006-07 | Bryan Schuster |
| 2005-06 | Jennifer Owsiany |
| 2004-05 | Jason Mattia |
| 2003-04 | Justin Casavant |
Legion of Blue helps organize events with the university's athletic department and the basketball team to benefit Penn State THON, a dance marathon dedicated to curing childhood cancer. Each year, the Legion of Blue helps host the THON Hoops game, where all revenue from single game student tickets in donated to THON under the name of the organization of the student's choice. [7] Students also receive colorful shirts worn to generate awareness. THON children and their families are seated in the typical section section behind the basket near the Penn State bench and are recognized throughout the game.
Legion of Blue and its members have been recognized by a variety of sources for their school spirit and charitable work. During the 2017-18 school year, Legion of Blue won the Lion Light student organization of the month award for their September "Fill the Forum" event [8] and the Penn State student organization of the month for their contributions to the annual THON Hoops game. [9] Legion of Blue was featured in conjunction with Penn State THON as part of ESPN's Student Spirit Week for the Nittany Lions' 2008 matchup against Ohio State, [10] and 2005-06 president Jennifer Owsiany was named ESPN's 2006 "Miss Bracket" after an online poll of college basketball's biggest superfans. [11]
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Beaver Stadium is a college football stadium on the campus of Pennsylvania State University in Penn State University Park. It has been home to the Penn State Nittany Lions football of the Big Ten Conference since 1960, though some parts of the stadium date back to 1909. It was also the site of university commencements until 1984. The stadium, as well as its predecessors, is named after James A. Beaver (1837–1914), a governor of Pennsylvania (1887–91), president of the university's board of trustees, and native of nearby Millerstown. Officially, the stadium is part of the municipality known as College Township, Pennsylvania, although it has a University Park address.
The Battle for the Land Grant is an American college football rivalry between the Michigan State Spartans and Penn State Nittany Lions. The Land Grant Trophy is presented to the winner of the game. Penn State leads 18–10 since joining the Big Ten. Penn State leads the series 19–18–1, with Penn State winning the most recent matchup in 2023.
The Bryce Jordan Center is a 15,261-seat multi-purpose arena in College Township, Pennsylvania, on the University Park campus of the Pennsylvania State University. The arena opened in 1996 and is the largest such venue between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. It replaced Rec Hall as the home to the Nittany Lions men's and women's basketball teams, the Pride of the Lions Pep Band, and its student section, Legion of Blue. It also plays host to events such as concerts, circuses, and commencement ceremonies for colleges within the university. The arena is named after former Penn State University president Bryce Jordan, who was instrumental in acquiring funding needed to build it. The arena is associated with the Arena Network, a marketing and scheduling group of 38 arenas.
Recreation Building, often referred to as Rec Hall, is a field house on the University Park campus of the Pennsylvania State University. The building was opened on January 15, 1929, and remains in active use. Penn State's gymnastics, volleyball, and wrestling teams compete in Rec Hall. The university's men's and women's basketball teams moved to the Bryce Jordan Center in 1996.
The Penn State Nittany Lions team represents the Pennsylvania State University in college football. The Nittany Lions compete in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the Big Ten Conference, which they joined in 1993 after playing as an Independent from 1892 to 1992.
The Penn State Lady Lions basketball team represents Pennsylvania State University and plays its home games in the Bryce Jordan Center. In 2013, the Lady Lions became just the 12th program in NCAA Division I history to reach 850 wins. Penn State has won 8 regular season Big Ten titles and the first 2 Big Ten tournament titles in 1995 and 1996. Prior to joining the Big Ten, the Lady Lions competed in the Atlantic 10 conference. The Lady Lions have 25 NCAA tournament appearances as of 2014, the most in the Big Ten. The team's best post-season finish came in 2000 when the Lady Lions reached the Final Four before losing to eventual champion UConn. The Lady Lions captured the WNIT title in 1998 defeating Baylor 59–56 in Waco, Texas. Notable alumni include WBCA First Team All-Americans Suzie McConnell, Susan Robinson, Helen Darling, and Kelly Mazzante. ESPN correspondent Lisa Salters is the shortest player in Lady Lions history at 5'-2".
The Penn State Nittany Lions basketball team is an NCAA Division I college basketball team representing the Pennsylvania State University. They play home games at the 15,261-seat Bryce Jordan Center, moving there from Rec Hall during the 1995–96 season. Their student cheering section is known as the Legion of Blue.
The 2009 Rose Bowl, the 95th edition of the annual game, was a college football bowl game played on Thursday, January 1, 2009 at the same-named stadium in Pasadena, California. Because of sponsorship by Citi, the first game in the 2009 edition of the Bowl Championship Series was officially titled the Rose Bowl Game presented by Citi. The contest was televised on ABC with a radio broadcast on ESPN Radio beginning at 4:30 p.m. US EST with kickoff at 5:10 p.m.. Ticket prices for all seats in the Rose Bowl were listed at $145. The Rose Bowl Game was a contractual sell-out, with 64,500 tickets allocated to the participating teams and conferences. The remaining tickets went to the Tournament of Roses members, sponsors, City of Pasadena residents, and the general public.
The Ohio State–Penn State football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Ohio State Buckeyes and the Penn State Nittany Lions. Ohio State leads the series 25–14.
Talor Battle is an American former professional basketball player and current assistant coach for Ohio State. In college, he played for Penn State Nittany Lions men's basketball team, and then re-joined the Nittany Lions program as an assistant coach during the 2020–2021 season. He is from Albany, New York, and attended Bishop Maginn High School. On May 10, 2021 it was announced that Battle would join Northwestern as an assistant basketball coach, joining the team alongside his half-brother Boo Buie, who was playing for Northwestern at the time.
The Pegula Ice Arena is a 6,014-seat multi-purpose arena in University Park, Pennsylvania on the campus of Penn State University. The facility is located on the corner of Curtin Road and University Drive near the Bryce Jordan Center. The arena is named after Kim and Terry Pegula for their donations to fund the arena and it replaced the 1,350-seat Penn State Ice Pavilion.
The 2014–15 Penn State Nittany Lions basketball team represented Pennsylvania State University. Head coach Pat Chambers coached his fourth season with the team. The team played its home games in University Park, Pennsylvania, US at the Bryce Jordan Center and were a member of the Big Ten Conference.
The 2016–17 Penn State Nittany Lions basketball team represented Pennsylvania State University in the 2016–17 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by head coach Pat Chambers, in his sixth season with the team. They played their home games at the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pennsylvania and were members of the Big Ten Conference. They finished the season 15–18, 6–12 in Big Ten play to finish in a tie for 12th place. As the No. 13 seed in the Big Ten tournament, they beat Nebraska in the first round before losing to Michigan State in the second round.
Anthony Gregory Carr is an American professional basketball player for Manama Club of the Bahraini Premier League and West Asia Super League. He played college basketball for the Penn State Nittany Lions.
Michael Alphonso Watkins is an American professional basketball player for the NLEX Road Warriors of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). He played college basketball player for the Penn State Nittany Lions and was named to the Big Ten All-Defensive team in 2018.
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The 2020–21 Penn State Nittany Lions basketball team represented Pennsylvania State University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by interim head coach Jim Ferry and played their home games at the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pennsylvania as members of the Big Ten Conference. They finished the season 11–14, 7–12 in Big Ten play to finish in a tie for 10th place. As the No. 10 seed in the Big Ten tournament, they defeated Nebraska before losing to Wisconsin in the second round.
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The 2022–23 Penn State Nittany Lions basketball team represented Pennsylvania State University in the 2022–23 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by second-year head coach Micah Shrewsberry and played their home games at the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pennsylvania as members of the Big Ten Conference. They finished the season 23–13, 10–10 in Big Ten play to finish in a tie for ninth place. They defeated Illinois, Northwestern, and Indiana to advance to the championship game of the Big Ten tournament. There they lost to Purdue. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2011 as the No. 10 seed in the Midwest region. They defeated Texas A&M in the first round of the tournament, marking their first tournament win since 2001, before losing to Texas in the second round.