Is Penn State a college football blue blood? Andy Staples uses an unexpected metric to determine the answer originally appeared on A to Z Sports.
In the pantheon of college football, the term “blue blood” evokes images of gridiron royalty—programs like Alabama, Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, USC, Oklahoma, and Texas, whose histories are etched with national titles, legendary coaches, and an aura of inevitability. But what truly defines a blue blood? It’s not just fleeting dominance or a handful of trophies; it’s sustained excellence, cultural impact, and the ability to weather storms while consistently contending at the highest level.
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Despite this universally acknowledged belief, On3’s Andy Staples went against the grain by excluding powerhouses like Penn State and Nebraska from his recent blue blood list. His criteria were odd: programs had to be top 15 in win percentage and needed at least one national title in two of the three voting eras (including the AP or Coaches poll in the two poll eras, winner of the final game in the Bowl Championship Series/College Football Playoff era).
By traditional measures, Penn State football unequivocally belongs in that elite club. Over the last 50 years—from 1975 to 2025—the Nittany Lions have demonstrated remarkable consistency, historical heft, and resilience that rivals or surpasses many accepted blue bloods, proving they’re not just a powerhouse but a perennial force deserving of the crown.
But here’s Staples’ explanation for leaving the Nittany Lions out:
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“Penn State’s national titles came in 1982 and 1986. Those are each in the late poll era. The Nittany Lions didn’t have any titles in the early poll era, and the closest they’ve come in the BCS/CFP era is last season, when they fell to Notre Dame following an interception in the waning minutes of a semifinal at the Orange Bowl.”
It’s safe to say we disagree, and here’s why.
The Foundation: A Historical Pedigree That Stacks Up
Penn State’s roots run deep, with the program claiming four national championships overall (1911, 1912, 1982, and 1986), including two undisputed consensus titles in the modern era. But let’s zoom in on the last half-century, where the blue blood debate often hinges. Since 1975, the Nittany Lions have secured those two consensus national titles in 1982 and 1986, both under the legendary Joe Paterno, whose 46-year tenure (1966-2011) produced 409 wins—the most by any coach in NCAA history at the time.
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These weren’t fluke seasons; they capped eras of dominance. In 1982, Penn State went 11-1, capping it with a thrilling Sugar Bowl victory over Georgia and Heisman winner Herschel Walker. Four years later, an undefeated 12-0 squad stunned Miami in the Fiesta Bowl, intercepting Vinny Testaverde five times in a defensive masterclass that denied the Hurricanes a title.
Compare this to acknowledged blue bloods: Nebraska, often cited as a core member, also won two titles in the 1990s but has endured a steeper decline since. USC has three in the last 50 years but with scandals and inconsistencies. Penn State’s titles came during its independent era (pre-Big Ten in 1993), when scheduling powerhouses like Alabama, Notre Dame, and Pitt was the norm, forging a rugged identity that blue bloods embody.
And while Penn State has just one Heisman Trophy winner—John Cappelletti in 1973, whose emotional dedication to his dying brother inspired a nation—multiple finalists like Ki-Jana Carter (1994) and Larry Johnson (2002) underscore the program’s star power.
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All-time, Penn State ranks seventh in total wins (943 as of 2024) with a .690 winning percentage, ahead of programs like LSU and behind only the core blue bloods. They’ve produced 44 consensus All-Americans and 26 College Football Hall of Famers, including icons like Franco Harris and Mike Munchak, who transitioned to NFL stardom. This isn’t nouveau riche success; it’s a lineage that mirrors Michigan’s tradition or Oklahoma’s grit.
Consistency: The Hallmark of True Royalty
Blue blood status isn’t about peaks alone—it’s about avoiding valleys. Over the last 50 years, Penn State has compiled an astonishing record of consistency: 44 winning seasons out of 50, with only six sub-.500 campaigns, most clustered in a brief early-2000s dip and the anomalous 2020 COVID year. That’s a staggering 88% winning season rate. For context, even Alabama under Nick Saban has had occasional rebuilds, and Nebraska hasn’t had a winning season since 2016.
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Dig deeper: 21 seasons with 10 or more wins, including undefeated campaigns in 1986 and 1994. Since joining the Big Ten in 1993, they’ve captured four conference championships (1994, 2005, 2008, 2016), often in dramatic fashion—like the 2016 comeback from a 2-2 start to upset Ohio State and win the title. In that span, they’ve finished in the top 10 of the AP poll 20 times, a mark that outpaces Texas (15) and matches USC’s output.
Their bowl record? An elite 32-21-2 overall, with a .685 winning percentage (18-8-1) in major bowls like the Rose, Orange, Sugar, Fiesta, and Cotton. Highlights include the 1995 Rose Bowl thrashing of Oregon and the 2023 Rose Bowl rout of Utah, proving they deliver on big stages.
This consistency shines through adversity. Post-Paterno era, amid the 2011 scandal and NCAA sanctions that stripped scholarships and bowl eligibility, Penn State rebounded under Bill O’Brien and James Franklin. By 2016, they were Big Ten champs again, and in the expanded College Football Playoff era, they’ve made two appearances (2023-24), reaching the semifinals in 2024 with a 13-3 record. That’s resilience—turning scandal into a story of redemption, much like how Alabama overcame probation in the 1990s or Michigan navigated its own controversies.
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The Cultural Crown: Beyond Stats, a Blue Blood Ethos
What elevates Penn State to blue blood territory isn’t just numbers; it’s the intangibles. Beaver Stadium, the second-largest in America, hosts over 100,000 fans for “White Out” games that rival any atmosphere in the sport—think the 2019 thriller against Michigan or the 2023 upset bid against Ohio State.
Paterno’s “Grand Experiment” philosophy—prioritizing academics alongside athletics—set a standard, with Penn State boasting the highest graduation rates among top programs. This holistic approach has produced leaders like Kerry Collins and Saquon Barkley, blending on-field ferocity with off-field integrity.
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In comparison, Penn State often gets edged out for lacking the sheer volume of titles like Alabama’s 15 or Ohio State’s 8. But blue blood isn’t a strict tally; it’s a vibe. Recent rankings include Penn State among the top 13 blue bloods, citing 44 seasons with 10+ wins all-time (trailing only Alabama and Oklahoma) and sustained relevance.
As Staples noted just one year ago, programs like Georgia and Penn State have “earned their way in” through decades of contention, unlike flash-in-the-pan risers. If Nebraska clings to the label despite 20+ years of mediocrity, why exclude Penn State, which has outwon them since 2000?
In an era of NIL deals and superconferences, Penn State’s ability to adapt—recruiting top talent like Abdul Carter while maintaining its “Linebacker U” identity—ensures future dominance. They’ve been a top-10 mainstay under Franklin, with back-to-back 11-win seasons in 2022-23 and a playoff semifinal in 2024.
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The Nittany Lions aren’t knocking on the blue blood door; they’ve been inside all along, quietly building a case that’s impossible to ignore. It’s time the college football world acknowledges what Happy Valley has known for decades: Penn State is royalty.
This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Aug 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
