Welcome back to Happy Valley, everyone.

Even though the campus was quieter than usual, the news from State College never stopped. So whether you stayed in town, traveled back home, or only visited for Arts Fest, there’s a lot that you need to catch up on before the semester is in full swing.

News

• Canvas was down for the tail end of finals week and took a day to restore.
• The board of trustees elected two new members while reelecting six.
• The mom of former Penn State men’s hockey player Gavin McKenna was charged with furnishing alcohol to minors on the same night McKenna was charged with felony assault.
• Rally House acquired Lion & Cub — the store is now known as Rally House State College.
• Two concerts are set to take place at the Bryce Jordan Center in September, with Don Toliver performing on September 2 and Ella Langley performing on September 11.
• Three more concerts are scheduled for October, with Alabama performing at the BJC on October 9, followed by MercyMe on October 24, and John Summit on October 30.
• Penn State faculty officially unionized after their first request to form a union in December 2025.
• Baby’s Diner is planning to open in place of Bubba’s Eggs, Steaks & Shakes.
• Former Penn State student Zuoyu “Eric” Wu was charged with felony computer crimes and held on a $2 million bail. Penn State police dispatcher is facing felony charges after allegedly helping Wu.
• The 15th annual Special Olympics Pennsylvania Be A Fan Torch Run ended at Medlar Field.
• Lambda Chi Alpha entered an intervention plan with the University after its spring 2026 suspension.
• The Picklr announced the opening of a State College location.
• A new coffee shop is opening inside Freeze Thaw Cycles.
• State College Regional Airport announced the addition of nonstop flights to Charlotte starting October 5.
• Spotlight PA, the Centre Daily Times, and StateCollege.com sued the Penn State Board of Trustees over free speech.
• Penn State student Bill Schmidt was fatally shot in Philadelphia. The second suspect surrendered after the first suspect was arrested.
• A retired CATA bus was donated to the Centre County Public Safety Training Center to help train emergency personnel.
• Former Penn State Football long snapper Kyle Vasey was seriously injured in a hit-and-run in Colorado.
• A rape case moved forward after 26 years. Kurt Rillema was linked to the rape of a 19-year-old in 2000.
• Duck Donuts has permanently closed its State College location after eight years of business.
• Students were notified that they could be placed in supplemental housing with up to eight people.
• Penn State Athletics received $5 million for Beaver Stadium renovations from Bob and Sandy Poole.
• Multiple crews responded to a fire at the on-campus Alpha Zeta house during Arts Fest. They now have temporary housing in the vacant Delta Chi house.
• Penn State alumna Katie Feeney was named to the TIME 100 Creators list. She has been a sports and lifestyle content creator at ESPN since graduating in 2025.
• Penn State trustees approved a 15% performance bonus for Neeli Bendapudi while Penn State increased tuition for the seventh year in a row.
• Former Penn State Football running back Saquon Barkley’s residence was targeted in a home burglary attempt. Barkley and his family were unharmed.
• Penn State’s Berkey Creamery is going cashless starting in August. But make sure to stop by and try their new flavor to commemorate the one-millionth degree.
• 1996 campus shooter Jillian Robbins was denied parole after 30 years. Robbins’ sentence ends in 2056.
• Mount Nittany Health staff officially began their strike over contract disputes. The strike was planned to last five days.
• Susan Welch Building has reopened after the building’s structural issues in November 2025.
• WHYY Philadelphia finalized the deal to acquire Penn State broadcast properties. WHYY plans to work with Bellisario College of Communications to provide resources for students.
• Penn State University Police conducted an active attacker training exercise.
• Content creator and “looksmaxxer” Clavicular visited State College on August 24 as part of his College Tour.
• Penn State awarded the one-millionth degree during the summer commencement, making it the third school in the United States to reach the milestone.
• 14 were charged in an alleged cocaine trafficking investigation tied to Penn State fraternities Delta Upsilon and Sigma Chi. Ringleader Agostino Abbatiello failed to appear for his scheduled arraignment. Court records show more than $123,500 in alleged drug payments to Abbatiello, who witnesses claim was the largest dealer of cocaine to Penn State students. Penn State drug case defendant’s law school admission was withdrawn. Thomas Robinson was set to attend New England Law Boston with a $188,000 scholarship. Lars Zeepvat intends to plead not guilty in the alleged Penn State fraternity drug trafficking ring. Zeepvat faces four felony counts and two misdemeanors.
• McLanahan’s released a ‘Pablo Pledgescobar’ shirt after the Penn State cocaine trafficking bust.
• Penn State Vice President for Student Affairs responded to the alleged Penn State drug trafficking ring. At least four students who were charged are current Penn State students.
• Penn State was ordered to audit foreign relationships by the United States Department of Defense. This makes Penn State one of 30 academic institutions ordered by the D.O.D.
• Way Fruit Farm has closed its downtown State College location. The Port Matilda location remains open.
• Penn State fraternity Alpha Phi Delta filed a lawsuit against Greek Housing Services Corporation on August 20 over a chapter house lockout just days before classes started.

Athletics

• Penn State men’s hockey gained multiple commits, including Marco Mignosa, Charlie Michaud, Egor Shilov, Kaden Pitre, Justin Larose, and Mason Courville.
• Penn State football secured commits from Aiden Gibson, Chukwuma Odoh, Will Wood, Aniti Paiva, Sean Currie, Clayton Powell, Caleb Cooper, Elijah Guertin, Carter Petri, Case Alexander, Dhillon McGee, James Armstrong, and Oscar Webersink.
• Penn State volleyball gained new commits, Averi Bridges and Janiah Burrage.
• Penn State men’s basketball hired Dwayne Stephens as assistant coach. The Nittany Lions also secured forward commit Aleksandar Zecevic.
• Penn State women’s hockey landed commits from Sydney McIntosh, Adie Schneider, Catherine McCool, and Olivia Braunshausen.
• Penn State baseball locked in multiple commits, including Matthew Filiaci, Nolan Fisher, Eahn Stevenson, and Aidan Brokenshire.
• Penn Staters were drafted from men’s hockey, women’s hockey, and baseball.
• Multiple Penn Staters went pro, including former men’s hockey players Charlie Cerrato and Gavin McKenna, as well as former football player Kyron Hudson.
• Multiple teams gained transfers, including baseball — with two pitchers, a catcher, an outfielder, and an infielder — softball, hoops, Lady Lions, and men’s lacrosse.
• Multiple teams announced their 2026-27 schedule, including men’s soccer, women’s soccer, women’s hockey, men’s hockey, women’s volleyball, Lady Lions, baseball, field hockey, and hoops.
• Former Penn State women’s volleyball players Micha Hancock and Simone Lee were named to the Team USA Volleyball Nations League roster. The pair were last teammates during the 2014-15 National Championship.
• Four Penn State softball players were named to NFCA All-Region Teams. The four selected are Brooke Klosowicz, Allison Oneacre, Breanna Hanik, and Natalie Lieto.
• Two Penn State women’s lacrosse players were named to the IWLCA All-Region teams.
• Michael Anderson broke Penn State baseball’s single-season home run record with his 20th home run of the season. Anderson was also named to the First Team All-Big Ten.
• Lady Lions hire Susan Robinson Fruchtl and former player Angie Potthoff.
• Penn State men’s gymnastics head coach Randy Jepson decided to hang up his hat after 35 years and three national championships.
• Penn State men’s lacrosse fell to Princeton, 14-10, in the NCAA quarterfinals.
• Former Penn State women’s soccer player Katherine Asman was named Gainbridge Super League Golden Glove winner while playing on her third professional team.
• Allison Oneacre was named to Softball America’s Freshman All-America Team.
• Colin McMillan was promoted to head coach of men’s volleyball after being the program’s associate head coach for 10 years.
• Graduate Transfer Owen Tasse committed to Penn State men’s lacrosse.
• Two Penn State women’s soccer players will play on the U.S. Women’s TST Team.
• Women’s lacrosse star Delaney Radin named IWCLA All-American.
• Many Penn State athletes lost fifth-year eligibility.
• Jay Rodgers, a Penn State basketball player, was charged with a DUI.
• Men’s soccer player Aaron Molloy was named USL Player of the Month. 
• Two women’s soccer stars were named to the Top Drawer Soccer Preseason Top 100.
• Two former women’s soccer players are set to go on season 39 of ‘The Amazing Race.’
• Penn State women’s volleyball came in at No. 10 in the first AVCA Poll.
• Two Penn State football tight ends were named to the Mackey Award Watch List.
• Former Penn State Basketball player Jalen Pickett signed a two-way deal with the Clippers. 
• Two women’s volleyball players were named to the Preseason All-Big Ten team. 
• Two former Penn State women’s soccer players joined professional teams. 
• Men’s hockey added two Penn State grads to its staff list. 
• Levi Haines and Tessa Janecke were named Big Ten Medal of Honor recipients.
• Mallory Hasselbeck is joining the Women’s lacrosse coaching staff. 
• Baseball player Michael Anderson was named to the NCBWA All-America Second Team.
• Women’s volleyball Coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley was inducted into the PVCA Hall of Fame.
• Men’s volleyball player Owen Rose was named Off The Block National Blocker of the Year.

About the Author

Ella Cofone

Ella is a third-year broadcast journalism major from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She's usually missing her dog and telling everyone the Flyers are definitely going to win the cup this year. For movie recommendations or other reasons, you can contact her via email at emc5928@psu.edu or on Instagram @postcofone

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