Give me “Big Ten” for $800, Ken.

Penn State was featured on national television on Thursday night, and it wasn’t because of the football or women’s volleyball programs. Instead, the university served as an answer on the quiz show “Jeopardy!”

With $800 riding on the “The 18-School Big Ten” category, “What is Penn State?” was the right answer to the question, “One theory says this once-independent u.’s ‘Happy Valley’ got its name in the Depression, when the school’s stability kept hard times away.”

The origins of the name “Happy Valley” have long been debated. However, if host Ken Jennings had read Onward State in 2015, he would’ve known that the term “Happy Valley” came from a columnist in the Centre Daily Times, not economic stability in the Great Depression as often suggested.

Penn State has often been involved in “Jeopardy!” over the years, with several students and alumni featured on the show while the university has given contestants several thousands of dollars as correct answers.

About the Author

Joe Lister

Joe, shockingly, was Onward State's managing editor from 2024-25. It was an honor. He's off employed doing journalism things, hopefully. If you want to complain about anything he's ever written, you can find him on Twitter (iamjoelister), email (jlister2021@gmail.com), or Signal (iamjoelister.93).

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