Feb. 2, 2015
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - For the second consecutive year, Penn State Football will host "The Signature Event," giving fans an opportunity to learn more about the Nittany Lions' Class of 2015. Fans are invited to attend this free event hear from head coach James Franklin, as he discusses each signee on Wednesday, Feb. 4 - National Letter of Intent Day.
"The Signature Event" will be held in Rec Hall. The doors will open at 6 p.m. for general admission seating, with the program starting at 7 p.m. and lasting approximately 45-60 minutes. The Rec Hall concession stands will be open before and during the event. Parking is available in Lot Red A off North Atherton Street after 5 p.m. and at the Nittany Parking Deck near the Nittany Lion Inn at the normal rate.
The football team's returning starters, and some 2014 seniors who are on campus, will be available for a pre-Signature Event autograph session on the West concourse of Rec Hall. Fans also will have an opportunity to take their photo with the Croke Park Classic and New Era Pinstripe Bowl trophies won by the Nittany Lions last season, also on the West concourse.
The first 2,500 fans through the Rec Hall doors will receive a commemorative Signature Event poster. T-shirts also will be tossed to the crowd.
Franklin will speak about each of member of Penn State's Class of 2015, including the student-athletes who enrolled in classes for the spring semester. Video highlights and biographical information on each signee will be shown on the Rec Hall videoboards while Franklin speaks about each future Nittany Lion.
High school players who plan to enroll in a college or university this summer or fall can sign a National Letter of Intent for the first time on Wednesday.
The Penn State Blue Band, the Nittany Lion, cheerleaders and Lionettes dance team also will participate in the rally to celebrate the second Penn State recruiting class signed by Franklin and his staff. Students that are members of Nittanyville also will participate in "The Signature Event." The football coaching staff also will attend the event.
BTN and ESPN Coverage from Penn State's Signing Day Activities Franklin will appear on several national and regional TV, radio and streamed programs on Wednesday to discuss the Nittany Lions' Class of 2015.
BTN will air a live, two-hour BTN Football & Beyond: Signing Day Special at 3:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday. Host Mike Hall and analysts Gerry DiNardo and Howard Griffith will review each school's recruiting class and discuss expectations for some of the biggest impact players.
The program will include an interview with Franklin and video highlights of top recruits, interviews with other Big Ten head coaches and analysis from recruiting experts.
For the second consecutive year, the ESPNU National Signing Day Special will be at Penn State for coverage of the recruiting class signed by Franklin and his staff. Penn State is among 14 schools nationally selected to have a reporter on-site for signing day coverage for the ESPNU National Signing Day Special and SportsCenter, which will include interviews with Franklin. The Nittany Lions are among three Big Ten programs that will have an on-site ESPN reporter on signing day.
The ESPNU National Signing Day Special will be airing for the 10th consecutive year, with coverage Wednesday on ESPNU from 8 a.m.-7 p.m. ET. Additional coverage will be available across ESPN's various platforms including ESPN, ESPN.com's Recruiting Nation, ESPN3 and ESPN Audio.
All National Signing Day programming will be available on WatchESPN and the ESPNU National Signing Day Special will be simulcast on ESPN from 2-3 p.m. Rece Davis and Matt Schick will anchor the ESPNU National Signing Day Special, with analysis from several ESPN analysts, including Mike Bellotti, Desmond Howard, Danny Kanell, Tom Luginbill and David Pollack.
The Nittany Lions capped the 2014 season with a 31-30 overtime win over Boston College in the New Era Pinstripe Bowl. Penn State and Wisconsin are the only Big Ten teams to earn at least 10 consecutive winning seasons. Franklin is among just three Penn State head coaches to win at least seven games in his first season in Happy Valley in the program's 128 years.
Penn State returns 15 starters (7 offense, 7 defense, 1 specialist), and 14 additional players who have started, for the 2015 season. The Blue-White Game is April 18 in Beaver Stadium and the season opener is Sept. 5 at Temple.
The Penn State season ticket renewal deadline was February 1, with more than 20,000 season tickets renewed last week alone. There will not be any increase in the price of Penn State football season tickets or Nittany Lion Club donation levels for next season. For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and purchasing new 2015 season tickets, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can visit PSUnrivaled.com, call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. or visit the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office weekdays, 10 a.m-6 p.m.
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