There's typically not a whole lot to remember about noon games against MAC opponents, but the home opener tends to lead way for some surprises with the game day experience. A new marketing-obsessed coach made those changes even more palpable than usual. It wasn't the most fun three hours of football I've ever seen, but here are your Akron observations this week.
The NCAA sanctions met their abrupt and (almost) total end today, in what is sure to be a day that goes down in Penn State history as one of its best. It's a day for celebration for sure -- a celebration of a partially righted wrong, like a wrongfully convicted prisoner going free.
The football team's 21-3 win over Akron dominated the headlines, but seven Penn State teams played at least one game this weekend. Here's how your Nittany Lion teams fared:
Sen. George Mitchell's report, which could include some relief for Penn State from the NCAA sanctions, is due out in the coming days. For now, though, the second winning coach in college football history -- or winningest, if you put any weight into NCAA statistics -- Bobby Bowden came out in favor of giving back Joe Paterno his 111 victories back in the official record.
The Penn State Blue Band will have a slightly different gameday routine in 2014. After the athletic department clandestinely canceled the band's Tailgreat pregame show at the Bryce Jordan Center two weeks ago, the band announced what it will do in its stead.
What a wild first weekend for Penn State sports. Out of the nine games played this weekend across the various sports, the Nittany Lions were victorious in each. Not a bad start to the school year, we'd say. Here's what went down this weekend: