Top 10 most hated college football programs of all time
7. Penn State
The Penn State Football program is another school that was a lifelong independent until they joined the Big Ten in 1993. One thing about the Nittany Lions program that makes them standout is their traditional and old school ways.
No frills on the uniforms, blank helmets and no names on the backs of jerseys. The Nittany Lions give off a true “team first” mentality. All of that came crashing down in 2011 as Paterno’s kingdom dissolved amid a horrific child abuse scandal. The school and the football program have rebounded but the scars are still there.
Most Hated Penn State Nittany Lion: The Nittany Lion Culture
No, it’s not a player or even late head coach Joe Paterno – the Penn State culture was everything you love and hated about college football. However, once the Jerry Sandusky sexual assault scandal was revealed, followed by Paterno’s firing, Penn State went from disliked to downright despised by detracting fans.
Nittany Lion loyalists took to the streets in attempt to defend their coach and their culture, but the opposing masses were having none of it. Even after Paterno’s firing and the removal of his revered statue, there was still a PSU contingent who could not move on from what happened to their legendary coach.
Other hatable Penn State Moments
- The Paterno family battles with the NCAA and investigators
- Penn State’s unwillingness to challenge themselves as a independent in the 1970’s
- Punter John Bruno’s comments about the Miami Hurricanes prior to the 1987 Fiesta Bowl