Penn State officials, like the rest of Nittany Nation, are hoping to see the Nittany Lion football team pull off a win against No. 6 Wisconsin in Saturday night’s Big Ten Championship Game.
They just hope the aftermath is not like the last time Penn State defeated a top 10 team.
Damon Sims, vice president for Student Affairs, and Charlie Noffsinger, assistant vice president for University Police and Public Safety, released a letter Thursday night urging a ‘respectful celebration of Penn State football.’
The letter comes nearly six weeks after Penn State shocked No. 2 Ohio State at Beaver Stadium. Following the win, 5,000-10,000 fans poured onto East Beaver Avenue in a celebration that turned into a disturbance which police have termed a riot. Thirteen people have been charged to date — including five Penn State students who face felony riot charges. Several injuries were reported, a number of light posts and street signs were damaged or removed, and personal property suffered damage. It took police clad in riot gear and utilizing horses more than three hours late on Oct. 22 and early Oct. 23 to clear the streets. Estimated damage is more than $30,000.
The letter from Sims and Noffsinger asked fans and students to not let that happen again.
‘We have cause for celebration, and Saturday may provide us even more cause,’ they wrote. ‘But if Penn State wins this important game, let’s not spoil the accomplishment by failing to respect our campus and the broader community. The victory over Ohio State earlier this year was needlessly tarnished by the mayhem that followed.’
They emphasized that students who have been charged ‘are likely to suffer consequences through the campus judicial process, too.’
‘A cause for celebration never justifies harm to safety or public property, and the University will always take strong action against those who cause such harm,’ they wrote. ‘Let’s enjoy Saturday’s game, and let’s do our best to encourage a win through our positive support of the team. But let’s also be mindful of the commitment that all Penn Staters have to the well being and success of one another, this beautiful campus and the special community that surrounds it.’
Big Ten East champion Penn State meets West champion Wisconsin in the Big Ten Championship Game at Lucas Oil Field in Indianapolis on Saturday night. Kickoff is set for 8:17 p.m. on Fox.
The full text of the letter is below
This season, Penn State football fans have been treated to a wonderful run by our Nittany Lions to a Big Ten Eastern Division title and this weekend’s conference championship game in Indianapolis. Penn State fans are among the most enthusiastic and loyal in the country. And as our team takes the field on national television this Saturday, we encourage everyone to show their support and enthusiasm in a responsible way.
All of us have reason to be pleased by this team’s success. We have cause for celebration, and Saturday may provide us even more cause.
But if Penn State wins this important game, let’s not spoil the accomplishment by failing to respect our campus and the broader community. The victory over Ohio State earlier this year was needlessly tarnished by the mayhem that followed. Students and others who engaged in that destructive behavior have been charged through the criminal process, and those students are likely to suffer consequences through the campus judicial process, too.
A cause for celebration never justifies harm to safety or public property, and the University will always take strong action against those who cause such harm. Let’s enjoy Saturday’s game, and let’s do our best to encourage a win through our positive support of the team. But let’s also be mindful of the commitment that all Penn Staters have to the well being and success of one another, this beautiful campus and the special community that surrounds it.
— Damon Sims, Vice President for Student Affairs
— Charlie Noffsinger, Assistant Vice President for University Police and Public Safety
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