Youngstown State Penguins
Encyclopedia
Youngstown State University
is in NCAA
Division I. Nicknamed the Penguins, they play in the Horizon League
and Missouri Valley Football Conference, and compete in the following sports:
YSU is the only Division I program in the country to have the nickname Penguins for its athletic teams. YSU's mascots are Pete and Penny, two penguins dressed in scarfs and stocking caps. There are two accounts of how the "Penguins" nickname came to be. Both stories come from the same cold evening on Jan. 30, 1933, when the men's basketball team was playing at West Liberty State.
The first account is that a spectator said the team looked like Penguins as they stomped the floor and swung their arms. Without the team having an official nickname, fans took a liking to the word. A second account states that, on the way to West Liberty State with up to two feet of snow on the roads, passengers in Bennett Kunicki's car were discussing possible nicknames. "Penguins" was brought up and was well received by everyone in the car. The nickname was mentioned to members of the team at the gym that evening, and they thought it was perfect.
The nickname was unanimously accepted by the student body that year without a formal poll. The nickname was formally introduced in The Jambar, the campus newspaper, on Dec. 15, 1933.
. Tressel, who left the university following the 2000 season to coach at Ohio State
, helped the Penguins claim titles in 1991, 1993, 1994 and 1997, as well as runner-up titles in 1992 and 1999. His successor, Jon Heacock
, did not win a national championship, but still delivered consistent seasons and took them to a national semifinal appearance in 2006 (losing to eventual national champion Appalachian State
) prior to resigning following the 2009 season. Eric Wolford
, a Youngstown native who has been labeled a top recruiter at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level, was named the sixth head coach in school history on Dec. 15, 2009. Overall, YSU has made 11 playoff appearances since Division I FCS (then Division I-AA) was formed in 1978.
Historically, YSU is associated with longtime coach Dwight "Dike" Beede, who, after noticing on-field confusion due to officials using whistles to signal a penalty
, invented the penalty flag
during a game in 1941. The flag is now standard at all football games.
YSU plays its home games at Stambaugh Stadium
, nicknamed "The Ice Castle", which has an official capacity of 20,630, one of the largest in Division I FCS. The Penguins have sent over 20 players to the NFL, three of which (Tim Johnson and Marcus Mason
and Donald Jones
) are currently playing.
from 1946–47 until joining NCAA
Division II competition in 1960–61. The Penguins joined Division I competition in 1981-82, which was also the last season the team was coached by long-time coach Dom Rosselli. Over 38 seasons, Rosselli compiled a record of 589-388 (.603). Upon joining Division I competition, the Penguins competed in the Ohio Valley Conference
until the 1988-89 season. After four seasons as an independent, the Penguins competed in the Mid-Continent Conference from 1992-93 until joining the Horizon League
in the 2001-02 season. Although the team has competed in NCAA Division I and has been a member of three separate conferences, the men's basketball team has yet to win a conference championship in either the regular season or conference tournament. Since joining the Horizon League in the 2001-02 season, the men's basketball team has never finished higher than a tie for fourth, and the women's basketball squad was the only winless team in college basketball during the 2009-10 season.
. The women's team has won five of the last six Horizon League Track and Field Championships.
Also notable are the baseball and softball teams. In 2004, despite having a losing record, the baseball team won the Horizon League tournament and went to the College World Series
regionals for the first time. The softball team followed this feat two years later by also winning the Horizon League tournament and qualifying for the NCAA Regional Softball Tournament.
The Penguins' primary athletic facilities are Stambaugh Stadium
(football and soccer) and the Beeghly Center
(basketball, swimming, and volleyball). Horizon League track and field events will soon be held at the new Watson and Tressel Training Site ("The WATTS") located next to Stambaugh Stadium. The WATTS is expected to be completed within the current (2011-12) academic year.
Youngstown State University
Youngstown State University, founded in 1908, is an urban research university located in Youngstown, Ohio, United States. As of fall 2010, there were 15,194 students and a student-faculty ratio of 19:1. It is recognized as being one of the premier schools in the country, comparable to Ivy League...
is in NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division I. Nicknamed the Penguins, they play in the Horizon League
Horizon League
The Horizon League is a ten school, NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose members are located in five of the Midwestern United States....
and Missouri Valley Football Conference, and compete in the following sports:
- Baseball (men)
- Basketball (men/women)
- Cross Country (men/women)
- Football (men)
- Golf (men/women)
- Soccer (women)
- Softball (women)
- Swimming and Diving (women)
- Tennis (men/women)
- Track and Field (men/women) - Indoor and Outdoor
- Volleyball (women)
YSU is the only Division I program in the country to have the nickname Penguins for its athletic teams. YSU's mascots are Pete and Penny, two penguins dressed in scarfs and stocking caps. There are two accounts of how the "Penguins" nickname came to be. Both stories come from the same cold evening on Jan. 30, 1933, when the men's basketball team was playing at West Liberty State.
The first account is that a spectator said the team looked like Penguins as they stomped the floor and swung their arms. Without the team having an official nickname, fans took a liking to the word. A second account states that, on the way to West Liberty State with up to two feet of snow on the roads, passengers in Bennett Kunicki's car were discussing possible nicknames. "Penguins" was brought up and was well received by everyone in the car. The nickname was mentioned to members of the team at the gym that evening, and they thought it was perfect.
The nickname was unanimously accepted by the student body that year without a formal poll. The nickname was formally introduced in The Jambar, the campus newspaper, on Dec. 15, 1933.
Football
YSU has been particularly successful in, and is most recognized for, football. The program started in the 1930s and is one of the leading programs in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-AA), YSU has won four I-AA National Championships, second only to Georgia Southern (5), with all of them coming under former head coach Jim TresselJim Tressel
James Patrick Tressel is a gameday consultant for the Indianapolis Colts, and former collegiate football head coach at both The Ohio State University from 2001 to 2011 and at Youngstown State University from 1986 to 2000. Tressel is most notable for his time at Ohio State. He was hired by the...
. Tressel, who left the university following the 2000 season to coach at Ohio State
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
, helped the Penguins claim titles in 1991, 1993, 1994 and 1997, as well as runner-up titles in 1992 and 1999. His successor, Jon Heacock
Jon Heacock
-External links:*...
, did not win a national championship, but still delivered consistent seasons and took them to a national semifinal appearance in 2006 (losing to eventual national champion Appalachian State
Appalachian State Mountaineers football
The Appalachian State Mountaineers football team is the college football team at Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. The Mountaineers have competed in the Southern Conference since 1972, and are currently a Division I Football Championship Subdivision member of the National...
) prior to resigning following the 2009 season. Eric Wolford
Eric Wolford
-External links:*...
, a Youngstown native who has been labeled a top recruiter at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision level, was named the sixth head coach in school history on Dec. 15, 2009. Overall, YSU has made 11 playoff appearances since Division I FCS (then Division I-AA) was formed in 1978.
Historically, YSU is associated with longtime coach Dwight "Dike" Beede, who, after noticing on-field confusion due to officials using whistles to signal a penalty
Penalty (American football)
In American football and Canadian football, a penalty is a sanction called against a team for a violation of the rules, called a foul. Officials initially signal penalties by tossing a bright yellow or orange colored "penalty flag" onto the field toward or at the spot of a foul...
, invented the penalty flag
Penalty flag
The penalty flag is a yellow cloth used in several field sports including American football and lacrosse by game officials to identify and sometimes mark the location of penalties or infractions that occur during regular play. It is usually wrapped around a weight, such as sand or beans so it can...
during a game in 1941. The flag is now standard at all football games.
YSU plays its home games at Stambaugh Stadium
Stambaugh Stadium
Arnold D. Stambaugh Stadium, usually shortened to just Stambaugh Stadium, is the home of football and soccer teams at Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio. Built in 1982, Stambaugh has seen the Penguins football team rise to become a power in NCAA Division I Football Championship...
, nicknamed "The Ice Castle", which has an official capacity of 20,630, one of the largest in Division I FCS. The Penguins have sent over 20 players to the NFL, three of which (Tim Johnson and Marcus Mason
Marcus Mason
Marcus Mason is an American football running back who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Washington Redskins as an undrafted free agent in 2007...
and Donald Jones
Donald Jones (American football)
Donald Jones is an American football wide receiver for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League. He was signed by the Bills as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He played college football at Youngstown State.-Buffalo Bills:...
) are currently playing.
Men's Basketball
The Youngstown State men's basketball team began with the 1927–28 season. The team has competed in the NAIANational Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics is an athletic association that organizes college and university-level athletic programs. Membership in the NAIA consists of smaller colleges and universities across the United States. The NAIA allows colleges and universities outside the USA...
from 1946–47 until joining NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
Division II competition in 1960–61. The Penguins joined Division I competition in 1981-82, which was also the last season the team was coached by long-time coach Dom Rosselli. Over 38 seasons, Rosselli compiled a record of 589-388 (.603). Upon joining Division I competition, the Penguins competed in the Ohio Valley Conference
Ohio Valley Conference
The Ohio Valley Conference is a college athletic conference which operates in the midwestern and southeastern United States. It participates in Division I of the NCAA; the conference's football programs compete in the Football Championship Subdivision , the lower of two levels of Division I...
until the 1988-89 season. After four seasons as an independent, the Penguins competed in the Mid-Continent Conference from 1992-93 until joining the Horizon League
Horizon League
The Horizon League is a ten school, NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose members are located in five of the Midwestern United States....
in the 2001-02 season. Although the team has competed in NCAA Division I and has been a member of three separate conferences, the men's basketball team has yet to win a conference championship in either the regular season or conference tournament. Since joining the Horizon League in the 2001-02 season, the men's basketball team has never finished higher than a tie for fourth, and the women's basketball squad was the only winless team in college basketball during the 2009-10 season.
Other sports
The Track and Field and Cross Country teams are consistently strong contenders in the Horizon LeagueHorizon League
The Horizon League is a ten school, NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose members are located in five of the Midwestern United States....
. The women's team has won five of the last six Horizon League Track and Field Championships.
Also notable are the baseball and softball teams. In 2004, despite having a losing record, the baseball team won the Horizon League tournament and went to the College World Series
College World Series
The College World Series or CWS is an annual baseball tournament held in Omaha, Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball Championship, which determines the NCAA Division I college baseball champion. The eight teams are split into two, four-team, double-elimination brackets,...
regionals for the first time. The softball team followed this feat two years later by also winning the Horizon League tournament and qualifying for the NCAA Regional Softball Tournament.
The Penguins' primary athletic facilities are Stambaugh Stadium
Stambaugh Stadium
Arnold D. Stambaugh Stadium, usually shortened to just Stambaugh Stadium, is the home of football and soccer teams at Youngstown State University in Youngstown, Ohio. Built in 1982, Stambaugh has seen the Penguins football team rise to become a power in NCAA Division I Football Championship...
(football and soccer) and the Beeghly Center
Beeghly Center
The Beeghly Physical Education Center, or simply Beeghly Center, is a 6,500-seat multi-purpose arena in Youngstown, Ohio. The arena, built at a cost of $5.5 million and named for local businessman Leon A. Beeghly, opened on December 2, 1972. It is home to the Youngstown State University Penguins...
(basketball, swimming, and volleyball). Horizon League track and field events will soon be held at the new Watson and Tressel Training Site ("The WATTS") located next to Stambaugh Stadium. The WATTS is expected to be completed within the current (2011-12) academic year.
External links
- YSU Sports - Youngstown State Penguins Athletics