N I T T A N Y L I O N BASKETBALL
SUCCESS WITH HONOR
HISTORY & RECORDS BRYCE JORDAN CENTER 2010-11 SEASON • PLAYERS • COACHES • OPPONENTS • ‘09-’10 REVIEW •
JORDAN CENTER
FAST FACTS
■ Opened: Jan. 11, 1996 ■ Record In: 142-88 (14 1/2 seasons) ■ Capacity (Basketball): 15,261 ■ Capacity (Other): 16,000+ ■ First Game: vs. Minnesota,
Jan. 11, 1996, W, 76-51 ■ 50th Win: vs. Kent (NIT),
Mar. 22, 2000, 81-74 ■ 100th Win: vs. Hartford, ■ ■ ■
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Dec. 6, 2006, W, 56-55 Cost: $55 Million Size: 370,000-square-feet Named For: 14th President of Penn State Dr. Bryce Jordan Longest Win Streak: 14 games (Jan. 11, 1996 vs. Minnesota through Dec. 27, 1996 vs. BYU) First Loss: vs. Iowa (69-57) Jan. 4, 1997
TOP BJC SEASON WIN MARKS 1. 2. 4. 5. 7. 8. 9.
17-3 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _2008-09 13-4 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _2007-08 13-4 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _1999-00 12-2 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _1997-98 11-7 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _2005-06 11-8 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _2006-07 10-4 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _2000-01 9-6 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _1996-97 8-0 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _1995-96 8-6 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _1998-99
TOP SEASON WIN PERCENTAGES 1. 2. 3. 4.
1.000 (8-0) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _1995-96 .857 (12-2) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _1997-98 .850 (17-3) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _2008-09 .765 (13-4) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _2007-08 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _1999-2000 6. .714 (10-4) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _2000-01 7. .611 (11-7) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _2005-06 8. .600 (9-6) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _1996-97 9. .580 (11-8) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _2006-07 10. .571 (8-6) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _1998-99
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HISTORY & RECORDS • UNIVERSITY
One of the jewels on the Penn State campus is the 15,261-seeat Bryce Jordan Center, which opened in 1996. The facility is named after Penn State’s 14th president Dr. Bryce Jordan who was instrumental in Penn State’s bid to gain admittance into the Big Ten Conference. Located across Curtin Road from Beaver Stadium, the spacious facility has a capacity of over 16,000 seats for concerts and other entertainment events. Built for $55 million, the facility has a variety of uses, including athletic competitions, commencements and other academic gatherings, trade shows, artistic and cultural performances and main stream concerts. The Jordan Center is the largest such building between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Among the performers the Jordan Center has hosted are: Nelly, Black Eyed Peas, Ludacris, Dave Matthews Band, Janet Jackson, Britney Spears, Metallica, Bruce Springsteen, 50 Cent, Shania Twain, Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, Korn, Aerosmith, Elton John, Billy Joel, Usher, Toby Keith, Tina Turner, Bob Dylan, the WWF, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, Matchbox Twenty, Mary J. Blige, Tori Amos and Garth Brooks. In May of 1996 President William Jefferson Clinton spoke at the graduate school commencement. Penn State has hosted the 1999 NCAA Wrestling Championships, 1998 NCAA Men’s Gymnastics Championships and the 1998 the Big Ten Wrestling Championships in the Jordan Center. The Jordan Center has quickly become the nation’s No. 1 grossing venue in the mid-size category. Estimates were that the Jordan Center would have a total state-wide economic impact of nearly $120 million during its first five years of construction and operation. The facility also has created an estimated 500 new jobs in the Central Pennsylvania area. After 68 years in Rec Hall, the Grande dame of Penn State athletic facilities, the 370,000-square-foot debutante, which more than doubled the capacity of Rec Halll, had its "coming out" party on January 11, 1996. There was concern about the new dance
2010-11 P E N N S T A T E BASKETBALL
partner. Rec Hall, after all, had proven to be a comfortable comrade. Opening night quickly dispelled any misgivings. "In a perfect meeting of time and place," one reviewer wrote, "14,852 folks came out of the cold last night to see an unbeaten Penn State open a fabulous new arena, the Bryce Jordan Center. They waited respectfully to be let in at 6 p.m. When the fans got inside, they saw an arena with wonderful sight lines from the highest seat to the distant corners. "The dizzying walk to the top of the stands seemed like a walk to the top of the world. The view was worth it. "The fans were treated to an extra-wide concourse, and some hung out in 16 mezzanine suites with televisions, refrigerators and a great view of the action...The Jordan Center is stateof-the-art..." "You have seen many basketball games in your lifetime," another correspondent said, "but never in a place like this. Part of you wonders if you are really on the Starship Enterprise, what with all of the gates, portals and sections." The BJC is more than just a pretty face. It also has become a dastardly place to play if your uniform jersey says anything other than "Penn State." In their first 14 games at the Jordan Center, the Nittany Lions were a perfect 14-0, including wins over Big Ten champion, Purdue, and Indiana, a team Penn State hadn't beaten since joining the Big Ten in 1992-93. The advent of the facility kick-started Penn State basketball attendance, which went through the roof with the turnstiles humming to an alltime record 152,838 fans in that first season.
The Nittany Lions played to capacity crowds in each of their first eight BJC appearances. In 1996-97, the Nittany Lions averaged over 13,000 in paid attendance through their first full season with the Jordan Center as their home and set a new all-time record of 197,179 in total attendance. Between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, there is no place like the Jordan Center. It has changed the face of central Pennsylvania and enhanced the region’s quality of life. The building incorporates ultra-modern acoustics, electronics, communications and overall design. Highlight features include: a hightech sound system, one of the largest portable basketball floors in the world, a television quality video scoreboard, and full back and arm rests for each one of the 15,261 seats. In addition to center court, the building includes locker rooms for the Nittany Lions and Lady Lions, team lounges, video rooms, training facility, weight room, 18,800-square foot practice gym, coaches offices, visiting locker rooms, press room, a Founder's room, meeting spaces and most of the offices of the Penn State athletic department. The Board of Trustees approved naming the building for University President Emeritus Jordan, who came to Penn State from the University of Texas System. Jordan almost immediately set into motion a plan to increase private gift support. The highly successful “Campaign for Penn State,” which began in 1986 and raised $352 million over a six-year period, ranked at the time among the largest such ventures ever conducted by a public university. Under Jordan's presidency, Penn State opted for membership in the Big Ten Conference.