The Teams on the East Suites
Teams honored on the Stadium’s East Suites facade—
As part of the Beaver Stadium renovation and expansion that was completed in time for the 2001 season, a large three-level complex of executive suites was added above the East stands running its entire length. Initially, PSU adorned the facade of the Suites (just above the first level) with the years of some of its greatest teams—the unbeatens, the legendary squads, the national champs, and the Big Ten Champs. It began with 13 of the best teams and has since expanded to 17. The most recent addition was unveiled in 2017.
The list of the 17 honored teams—
1894, 1909, 1911, 1912, 1920, 1921, 1947, 1968, 1969, 1973, 1982, 1986, 1994, 2005, 2008, 2012, & 2016
The list spans well over a century of Penn State football success and also honors 7 of its coaches—
George Hoskins, Bill Hollenback (3), Hugo Bezdek (2), Bob Higgins, Joe Paterno (8), Bill O’Brien, and James Franklin.
Teams that should be on the facade, too—
Actually, the list of teams honored on the East suites should be longer than it is. Frankly, a case could easily be made for quite a number of additional years to be added. So, let’s make the case for a few.
1891—This is easily the most glaring omission from the original plans. It’s the one actual championship team that somehow didn’t make the cut. This team was 6-2, but it won the PIFA conference in its only year of existence.
1906—This is Mother Dunn’s year when he caught the eye of Walter Camp and became Penn State’s first 1st Team All-American breaking the “Ivy” stranglehold on those early All-America lists. The team was 8-1-1, and it was a hard-fought 10-0 loss at Yale that really put State’s football program on the map.
1959—This was the year of “almost” for the 9-2 Nittany Lions. A 2-point loss to eventual national champ, Syracuse at home. Nearly the first PSU team to win 10 games. Richie Lucas finishes runner-up in Heisman balloting. Honoring this squad gives a little love to long-time coach Rip Engle who appears to have just missed the “Suites”, and it gives some love to the era where State began its rise on the national scene setting the table for what was to come in the 60s, 70s, and 80s.
1971—Lydell Mitchell (1,713 yards & 27 TDs rushing) along with Franco Harris put on a power running clinic, went 11-1, and hammered Texas, 30-6, in its backyard at the Cotton Bowl. Take that, 1969 pollsters… and Heisman voters!!!
1978—This is the first PSU team to ever be ranked #1 in the AP and UPI Polls. It was 11-0 in the regular season and, if not for a frighteningly narrow 7-point disappointment in the Sugar Bowl vs. Alabama, it would be remembered as Paterno’s first national champs and not be Penn State’s best team that nobody who wasn’t there seems to recall.
1985—See 1978. The ‘85 Lions were also 11-0, ranked #1, and derailed in the Orange Bowl by Oklahoma. They might not have been as good as the ‘78 team or the ‘86 one that would follow, but hey, nobody penalized the 1947 Lions for not winning their Cotton Bowl game.
Other years to possibly consider, if there’s still room to add in the future—1919, 1942 (another “what could have been” season—see below), 1954, 1962, 1977, and, how about 1981 (this is the only season where we were voted national champs in some computer polls which is missing from the Suites facade—this team was 10-2 with a stunning win over #1 Pitt). Heck, someday the 2024 season might get a second look, too. Nobody else up there has as many as 13 wins, so far.
Nittany Notes:
The Bummer of ‘42…
Move over 1999, the 1942 season is probably the greatest Penn State football season of the 20th century that never happened. Following on the heels of some “bowl buzz” in 1940 and a solid 7-2 season in 1941 (with big wins over Syracuse, NYU, South Carolina and Pitt), there was much anticipation for the ‘42 campaign. But a war started, and a tragedy followed when rising Sophomore halfback sensation Dave Alston died unexpectedly from a blood clot following a tonsillectomy in August. By September, most of the Lions top players were in military service and only freshman and sophomores remained on campus along with their temporary teammates from the V-12 Navy/Marines contingent assigned to train there.
Amazingly, Penn State managed to finish 6-1-1 and ranked 19th in its first ever appearance in the AP season-ending poll. The loss was 24-0 on the road at West Virginia, and the scoreless tie was the result of terrible weather conditions at Cornell. But the young Lions closed with wins over Syracuse, #17 UPenn, and Pitt. And a glimpse of the legendary 1947 team was seen when Freshman QB Bobby Williams threw a 50-yard TD pass to stun Colgate on Homecoming.
The Penn State All-Sports Museum honors Dave Alston’s memory with the display of a bust created by Dr. Blake Ketchum (see photo above).