1. The season premiere of Football Letter Live aired a few nights ago — hosted by Alumni Association CEO Paul Clifford ’20g and myself — featuring Penn State VP for Intercollegiate Athletics, Dr. Pat Kraft, and letterman Shelly Hammonds. In addition to Facebook and YouTube, each show will also air on Twitter and LinkedIn, and you can register for the entire season on our website.
2. Cool note we learned about Dr. Kraft: His Indiana jersey is on display at Nick’s English Hut, a favorite watering hole among Bloomington locals and IU students, and among visitors. If you’re traveling to IU for the Nov. 5 battle between the Nittany Lions and Hoosiers, we highly recommend stopping there.
3. Speaking of the state of Indiana, that’s where Penn State is headed next week for its season opener against Purdue, a Thursday night kickoff scheduled for 8 p.m. We’ll have a game preview posted to the blog in a few days.
4. All Penn Staters (provided we have your email address) will receive The Football Letter game day email Thursday. It’ll include the preview, videos, photos, info on how the Alumni Association keeps you connected to the football program, and lots more. If you’ve changed your email or want to ensure we have your correct address, you can update your info on our website.
5. Alumni Association members will receive the postgame Football Letter email for Purdue on Saturday, Sept. 3. We’re planning to send the email around lunchtime Saturday, and it’ll feature The Letter, an exclusive photo gallery, and plenty of videos and sights and sounds from West Lafayette. Anyone who isn’t yet a member can learn more and join the pride at alumni.psu.edu/YouBelong.
6. Ace photographer Steve Manuel ’84, ’92g will be back on the field this fall for The Football Letter, and you can learn more about Steve’s impact at Penn State on the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications’ website.
7. My superstar colleague Vince Lungaro ’18 will be in the press box this season for The Football Letter, writing the weekly Roaring 20 feature, in addition to posting to the blog and our social channels.
8. We’re fortunate to have a great team at the Alumni Association, and as a group, we’ve updated our game day page that outlines all the ways you can stay connected to the football program. Included on the site is information about this year’s Roar Tour (away game pep rallies), chapter events, and more.
9. The Roar Tour features the Penn State Cheerleaders, Nittany Lion, special guests, and fun, family friendly games. There is no cost to attend, though registration is required. Alumni Association members who attend will receive a commemorative lanyard with this year’s football schedule and roster. You can register now for Auburn (Sept. 17), Michigan (Oct. 15), Indiana (Nov. 5), and Rutgers (Nov. 19).
10. At last count, registration for the Roar Tour at Auburn surpassed 400 people. No surprise there, as we expect lots of Penn State to accompany the team for its first trip to Jordan-Hare Stadium.
11. A significant change — and pretty cool, I think — that happened this year with the Alumni Association is that membership now includes access to our vast network of alumni chapters, at no additional cost or extra steps. Across the country, and the world, our chapters host football watch parties during the season. You can view a full list of chapters on our site. Chances are there’s one near you.
12. ICYMI: We posted a couple features to the blog this month. One focuses on what motivates players, and the common theme that emerged was family. The second article spotlights kicker Jake Pinegar, and his mindset as his role on the team shifted last year.
13. Penn State’s home schedule features seven games. You can see the entire lineup on our Twitter account, along with a view of Beaver Stadium.
14. About every three months or so, we switch up our profile photo on Twitter to feature a letterman. Currently, we’re spotlighting Curt Warner, one of the best running backs in program history. An astute fan pointed out the photo is possibly from the 48-14 rout of then-No. 1 Pitt in 1981.
15. You can see the team photo for this year’s squad on our Twitter account. We snapped the image during the team’s recent photo day at Beaver Stadium.
16. Hear from head coach James Franklin, defensive coordinator Manny Diaz, and offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich in our media day highlight video.
17. Earlier in August, we hosted the Alumni Leadership Connections Conference. The two-day event provided opportunities for our alumni leaders to network, share best practices, and hear from alumni experts. The conference is largely made possible by the generosity of Jim ’83g and Kathleen Stengel ’84g, who met at Penn State while studying in the Smeal College of Business. Jim is one of the world’s most expert marketers — he led two keynote sessions during the conference — and after an incredibly successful career as an executive at Proctor & Gamble, he’s now the president of his own company. He also hosts The CMO Podcast, interviewing the world’s most foremost marketing experts. Many thanks to Jim and Kathleen for their ongoing support. You can view a group photo of this year’s conference and video highlights from a fun day at Tussey Mountain on our Twitter page.
18. Lion Ambassadors welcomed first-year students earlier this week at Rec Hall, during Be A Part From The Start. The event features our student leaders, lots of Penn State Athletics teams, and introduced students to many Penn State traditions. You can view the entire event on our YouTube page.
19. A few days later, Blue & White Society — the student chapter of the Alumni Association — continued the good vibes during BASH, held at the Hintz Family Alumni Center. You can view photos and a video from the event on our social channels.
20. Thank you for reading, watching, and otherwise staying engaged with the Alumni Association and University. We’re thrilled to keep you connected with The Football Letter and the overall football experience that includes our Roar Tour stops, chapter events, and all the other ways you can get involved. If you ever have any questions or want to share any feedback, you’re welcome to email me at jmp411@psu.edu. We hope to see you and hear from you this season and beyond. We Are …
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Check the time in West Lafayette Indiana.
Thanks, I’ve updated the story. I used to live in Indiana and am nearly certain West Lafayette was in Central Time. The state used to be split, though looks like that’s changed. Thanks again.