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When did Penn State take names off jerseys?

Author

James Craig

Published Jan 15, 2026

Penn State had used the nameless uniforms throughout its history until 2012, when then-first-year coach Bill O'Brien decided to include players' names to honor those who remained on the team after heavy NCAA sanctions were imposed. Penn State kept the names in 2013 and 2014 but will go without them this season.

Why don t Penn State players have names on their jerseys?

The reason the names were there in the first place was thanks to former head coach Bill O'Brien, who wanted to recognize and honor the players who stuck with the program during the Jerry Sandusky scandal during the 2012 season. With many of those players on the team the past two seasons, as well, the names stuck.

Why doesn't Penn State have names on the back?

While the Nittany Lions had always "played for the name on the front of the jersey, not the back," circumstances were extreme. Those players were still playing for Penn State, but Penn State owed them a debt. The names, in large part, paid that debt.

Which college football teams do not put names on jerseys?

In fact, USC is now the only college — Notre Dame has broken the tradition and put names on jerseys, even if the school doesn't do it as a matter of course — to have never put a name on the back of the jersey.

Why do some college teams not have names on jerseys?

Tradition. One probable reason for omitting jersey names is tradition. The custom did not begin with college teams, and some colleges, such as Notre Dame and Penn State, want to keep the traditions of the past alive. Notre Dame did adopt jersey names during the 1987 football season, but then reversed the decision.

27 related questions found

Does Penn State have names on jerseys?

Penn State is going back to its old-school look: black shoes and basic blue jerseys with no names on the backs. The team announced Thursday it once again will use uniforms without players' names.

When did college football put names on jerseys?

In 1961, the University of Maryland was the first collegiate football team to place the surnames of its players on the backs of their uniforms along with their numbers, following a trend established by the professional American Football League and baseball's Chicago White Sox.

Why doesn't Notre Dame have their names on the back of their jerseys?

“And (they) said, 'Coach, we don't want names on the backs of our jerseys. We're Team 127. ' ” The thought behind the gesture is the same elixir that's galvanized and emboldened unsung players ascending into prominent roles when the monotonous roll of injuries could have easily rerouted this team to the Belk Bowl.

Do the Dodgers have names on their jerseys?

That's because the Dodgers have announced that they're removing the player surnames from the backs of all their jerseys. Uni Watch generally approves of the old-school nameless look.

Can you buy college football jerseys with names?

In the past, retailers were prohibited from selling university jerseys with current player names on them. But with the recent passing of name, image and likeness (NIL) laws and rules, The M Den is now allowed to sell the jerseys as a customized product.

What is the Nittany Lion?

A Nittany lion is a mountain lion or cougar. It's that simple. Mountain lions roamed the State College area until 1880. At this time the remaining mountain lions were moved out of Pennsylvania.

When did baseball teams start putting names on jerseys?

By the mid-1930s every team in Major League Baseball team were wearing numbers on the back of jerseys except the Philadelphia Athletics. The Athletics later added numbers to their jerseys in 1939.

When did Dodgers put names on jerseys?

The first uniform to display the team name was unveiled in 1933, and the current designs for both home and away were unveiled in 1939. Ever since, the team has kept the uniforms remarkably consistent, with only small changes like outlines and shading.

Why doesn't the Yankees have names on their jerseys?

Yet, no official Yankee uniform has ever had names on the back. Teams also stuck with this "no name" on the back of the jersey as a way of selling score cards and programs, so fans would know who was in the field and at the plate for each game.

Why is it called Fighting Irish?

The Fighting Irish nickname was first coined for the Irish immigrant soldiers who fought for the Union during the Civil War in what became called the Irish Brigade, including three regiments from New York. Their valor was later memorialized in the poetry of Joyce Kilmer.

When did Notre Dame stop putting names on jerseys?

1981 – 1985: Nameplates in all games except USC 1983 and 2nd half of USC 1985. 1986 – 2007: No nameplates, except for the 1988 Cotton Bowl. 2008 – 2020: No nameplates, except for bowl games in 08, 10-14, and 17-20.

When did ND start putting names on jerseys?

Notre Dame is playing tonight with names on their jerseys for the first time since the 1988 (1987 season) Cotton Bowl.

Why are names on the back of jerseys?

It was only 1970 when the NFL started putting names on jerseys at all. The American Football League did that throughout the 1960s for a couple of reasons: to give its players more publicity, and to make them more identifiable in television broadcasts.

Have the Yankees had names on their jerseys?

No official Yankees uniform has ever had a name on the back of the jersey. Third-party sellers have included names, but nothing from the team itself. After ESPN's Darren Rovell tweeted about the news, Yankees fans responded in anger because the team is going to break tradition.

When did the Giants put names on their jerseys?

The San Francisco Giants made it official yesterday that they will be adding player names to the back of their home cream jerseys for the 2021 season. News of the Giants plans had been reporated as far back as this past August.

How much does a MLB ball girl make?

Philadelphia ball girl salaries paid $50 per game, $75 for outside events, and $35 for softball games. The ball girls doubled as a softball team.

Is the Penn State coach Black?

Franklin is one of four current Big Ten coaches (Ryan Day, Kirk Ferentz, Jim Harbaugh) to have won a Big Ten Championship and became the first African American head coach to win a Big Ten title after Penn State's 2016 victory.

Who is James Franklin married to?

Franklin's wife Fumi and daughters Shola and Addison spent last season living at a family home outside of Pennsylvania, a choice the Franklins made because of the COVID-19 pandemic.