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File:Beaver Stadium Nov03.jpg

Beaver Stadium, the home venue since 1960

This is a list of seasons completed by the Penn State Nittany Lions football team of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). Since the team's creation in 1887, the Nittany Lions have participated in 1,297 officially sanctioned games, including 46 bowl games.

For most of its existence, Penn State competed as an independent. In 1993, Penn State joined the Big Ten Conference, where it has been a member ever since.

Seasons[]

National Champions Conference Champions Division Champions Bowl game berth
Year Coach(es) Conference Record[1][2] Bowl Final AP Ranking
Wins Losses Ties
Penn State Nittany Lions
1887 NO COACH Ind 2 0 0 N/A
1888 Ind 0 2 1 N/A
1889 Ind 2 2 0 N/A
1890 Ind 2 2 0 N/A
1891 PIFA 6 2 0 N/A
1892 George Hoskins Ind 5 1 0 N/A
1893 Ind 4 1 0 N/A
1894 Ind 6 0 1 N/A
1895 Ind 2 2 3 N/A
1896 Samuel B. Newton Ind 3 4 0 N/A
1897 Ind 3 6 0 N/A
1898 Ind 6 4 0 N/A
1899 Sam B. Boyle Ind 4 6 1 N/A
1900 William N. "Pop" Golden Ind 4 6 1 N/A
1901 Ind 5 3 0 N/A
1902 Ind 7 3 0 N/A
1903 Daniel A. "Dan" Reed Ind 5 3 0 N/A
1904 Thomas F. "Tom" Fennell Ind 6 4 0 N/A
1905 Ind 8 3 0 N/A
1906 Ind 8 1 1 N/A
1907 Ind 6 4 0 N/A
1908 Ind 5 5 0 N/A
1909 William M. "Bill" Hollenback Ind 5 0 2 N/A
1910 Jack Hollenback Ind 5 2 1 N/A
1911 William M. Hollenback Ind 8 0 1 N/A
1912 Ind 8 0 0 N/A
1913 Ind 2 6 0 N/A
1914 Ind 5 3 1 N/A
1915 Richard C. "Dick" Harlow Ind 7 2 0 N/A
1916 Ind 8 2 0 N/A
1917 Ind 5 4 0 N/A
1918 Hugo F. Bezdek Ind 1 2 1 N/A
1919 Ind 7 1 0 N/A
1920 Ind 7 0 2 N/A
1921 Ind 8 0 2 N/A
1922 Ind 6 4 1 Lost Rose vs. USC, 3–14 N/A
1923 Ind 6 2 1 N/A
1924 Ind 6 3 1 N/A
1925 Ind 4 4 1 N/A
1926 Ind 5 4 0 N/A
1927 Ind 6 2 1 N/A
1928 Ind 3 5 1 N/A
1929 Ind 6 3 0 N/A
1930 Robert A. "Bob" Higgins Ind 3 4 2 N/A
1931 Ind 2 8 0 N/A
1932 Ind 2 5 0 N/A
1933 Ind 3 3 1 N/A
1934 Ind 4 4 0 N/A
1935 Ind 4 4 0 N/A
1936 Ind 3 5 0
1937 Ind 5 3 0
1938 Ind 3 4 1
1939 Ind 5 1 2
1940 Ind 6 1 1
1941 Ind 7 2 0
1942 Ind 6 1 1 19
1943 Ind 5 3 1
1944 Ind 6 3 0
1945 Ind 5 3 0
1946 Ind 6 2 0
1947 Ind 9 0 1 Tied Cotton vs. SMU, 13–13 4
1948 Ind 7 1 1 18
1949 F. Joseph "Joe" Bedenk Ind 5 4 0
1950 Charles A. "Rip" Engle Ind 5 3 1
1951 Ind 5 4 0
1952 Ind 7 2 1
1953 Ind 6 3 0
1954 Ind 7 2 0 20
1955 Ind 5 4 0
1956 Ind 6 2 1
1957 Ind 6 3 0
1958 Ind 6 3 1
1959 Ind 9 2 0 Won Liberty vs. Alabama, 7–0 12
1960 Ind 7 3 0 Won Liberty vs. Oregon, 41–12 16
1961 Ind 8 3 0 Won Gator vs. Georgia Tech, 30–15 17
1962 Ind 9 2 0 Lost Gator vs. Florida 7–17 9
1963 Ind 7 3 0
1964 Ind 6 4 0
1965 Ind 5 5 0
1966 Joe Paterno Ind 5 5 0
1967 Ind 8 2 1 Tied Gator vs. Florida State, 17–17 10
1968 Ind 11 0 0 Won Orange vs. Kansas, 15–14 2
1969 Ind 11 0 0 Won Orange vs. Missouri 10–3 2
1970 Ind 7 3 0 18
1971 Ind 11 1 0 Won Cotton vs. Texas, 30–6 5
1972 Ind 10 2 0 Lost Sugar vs. Oklahoma, 0–14 10
1973 Ind 12 0 0 Won Orange vs. LSU, 16–9 5
1974 Ind 10 2 0 Won Cotton vs. Baylor, 41–20 7
1975 Ind 9 3 0 Lost Sugar vs. Alabama, 6–13 10
1976 Ind 7 5 0 Lost Gator vs. Notre Dame, 9–20
1977 Ind 11 1 0 Won Fiesta vs. Arizona State, 42–30 5
1978 Ind 11 1 0 Lost Sugar vs. Alabama, 7–14 4
1979 Ind 8 4 0 Won Liberty vs. Tulane, 9–6 20
1980 Ind 10 2 0 Won Fiesta vs. Ohio State, 31–19 8
1981 Ind 10 2 0 Won Fiesta vs. USC, 26–10 3
1982 Ind 11 1 0 Won Sugar vs. Georgia, 27–23 1
1983 Ind 8 4 1 Won Aloha vs. Washington, 13–10
1984 Ind 6 5 0
1985 Ind 11 1 0 Lost Orange vs. Oklahoma 10–25 3
1986 Ind 12 0 0 Won Fiesta vs. Miami (FL), 14–10 1
1987 Ind 8 4 0 Lost Citrus vs. Clemson, 10–35
1988 Ind 5 6 0
1989 Ind 8 3 1 Won Holiday vs. BYU, 50–39 15
1990 Ind 9 3 0 Lost Blockbuster vs. Florida State, 17–24 11
1991 Ind 11 2 0 Won Fiesta vs. Tennessee, 42–17 3
1992 Ind 7 5 0 Lost Blockbuster vs. Stanford, 3–24
1993 Big Ten 10 2 0 Won Citrus vs. Tennessee, 31–13 8
1994 Big Ten 12 0 0 Won Rose vs. Oregon, 38–20 2
1995 Big Ten 9 3 0 Won Outback vs. Auburn, 43–14 13
1996 Big Ten 11 2     -[A 1] Won Fiesta Bowl vs. Texas, 38–15 7
1997 Big Ten 9 3 - Lost Citrus vs. Florida, 6–21 16
1998 Big Ten 9 3 - Won Outback vs. Kentucky, 26–14 17
1999 Big Ten 10 3 - Won Alamo vs. Texas A&M, 24–0 11
2000 Big Ten 5 7 -
2001 Big Ten 5 6 -
2002 Big Ten 9 4 - Lost Capital One vs. Auburn, 9–13 16
2003 Big Ten 3 9 -
2004 Big Ten 4 7 -
2005 Big Ten 11 1 - Won Orange vs. Florida State, 26–23 3 OT 3
2006 Big Ten 9 4 - Won Outback vs. Tennessee, 20–10 24
2007 Big Ten 9 4 - Won Alamo vs. Texas A&M, 24–17
2008 Big Ten 11 2 - Lost Rose vs. USC, 24–38 8
2009 Big Ten 11 2 - Won Capital One vs. LSU, 19–17 9
2010 Big Ten 7 6 - Lost Outback vs. Florida, 24–37
2011 Joe Paterno
Tom Bradley (interim)[A 2]
Big Ten
(Leaders Division)
9 4 - Lost TicketCity vs. Houston, 14–30
2012 Bill O' Brien Big Ten 8 4 - Ineligible
2013 Big Ten 7 5 - Ineligible
2014 James Franklin Big Ten
(East Division)
7 6 - Won Pinstripe vs. Boston College, 31–30 OT
2015 Big Ten 7 6 - Lost TaxSlayer vs. Georgia, 17–24
2016 Big Ten 11 3 - Lost Rose vs. USC 49–52 7
2017 Big Ten 11 2 - Won Fiesta vs. Washington 35–28 8
2018 Big Ten 9 4 - Lost Citrus vs. Kentucky 24–27 17
Total 887 391 42 (all games)

Coaching record[]

List of coaches and their years coached and record (win–loss–ties): [7]

  • Pop Golden (1900–02): 16–12–1
  • Dan Reed (1903): 5–3–0
  • Tom Fennell (1904–08): 33–17–1
  • Bill Hollenback (1909): 5–0–2
  • Jack Hollenback (1910): 5–2–1
  • Bill Hollenback (1911–14): 23–9–2
  • Dick Harlow (1915–17): 20–8–0
  • Hugo Bezdek (1918–29): 65–30–11
  • Bob Higgins (1930–48): 91–57–11
  • Joe Bedenk (1949): 5–4–0
  • Rip Engle (1950–65): 104–48–4
  • Joe Paterno (1966–2011): 409–136–3[8]
  • Tom Bradley (2011): 1–3–0[8]
  • Bill O'Brien (2012–13): 15–9–0
  • James Franklin (2014–present): 36–17–0

Notes[]

  1. Overtime introduced for regular season in Division I-A in 1996, eliminating ties.[3]
  2. Joe Paterno was fired in the wake of the Penn State child sex abuse scandal on November 9, 2011, and defensive coordinator Tom Bradley was named the interim head coach in his place.[4][5][6]

References[]

Template:Big Ten Conference football team seasons

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