On this date 26 years ago — June 5, 1990 — it was announced Pennsylvania State University had joined the Big Ten Conference. Just four months into his first term as commissioner of the conference, Jim Delany first seriously entertained the suggestion brought to him by then-University of Illinois President Stanley Ikenberry, a Penn State graduate. Delany’s sister had attended Penn State as a graduate student, so he knew of PSU’s reputation as a strong academic institution and its rich history in athletics.
“The Big Ten hadn’t changed since Michigan State became a member in 1949,” Delany said, “but I thought the opportunity to expand towards the East coast was a no-brainer.