STATE COLLEGE, Pa. – The Penn State men’s and women’s basketball teams are set to host games inside Rec Hall for the second consecutive season in 2024-25.
The women’s basketball squad will host Maryland Jan. 29, while men’s basketball will entertain Ohio State Jan. 30. Television designations and tip times will be announced at a later date.
Rec Hall – the current home of Penn State men’s and women’s volleyball, men’s and women’s gymnastics and wrestling teams – was the longtime home of both men’s and women’s basketball until 1996 when both squads made the permanent move to Bryce Jordan Center.
The women’s team made its first return venture to the historic building on Feb. 22, 2024, when it hosted No. 2 Ohio State. Prior to its homecoming this past season, the Penn State women’s basketball team had not played in Rec Hall since 1996 when it hosted Minnesota Jan. 5 in the final game in that arena.
On March 24, 1976, the Penn State women’s basketball team played its first contest in Rec Hall, playing host to eventual national champion Delta State in the 1976 AIAW Tournament. This was the lone game held in Rec Hall for the Nittany Lions during the 1975-76 campaign.
In 1977, Penn State played five games in Rec Hall, including a tournament against powerful programs such as Texas and Ohio State. The Nittany Lions made the permanent move for the 1979-80 season into Rec Hall from their previous home of the White Building. Penn State hosted its first NCAA women’s basketball postseason game in 1982, and the Nittany Lions defeated Clemson in the NCAA Tournament first round.
Penn State hosted a “Pack the Track” game at Rec Hall against No. 8 Iowa, which saw a sellout record attendance of 7,264 on Feb. 6, 1994. The Nittany Lions claimed a 63-61 victory in the first nationally televised broadcast of a women’s basketball contest in Rec Hall on ESPN2. The Nittany Lions have produced great success in their former home on Curtain Road, holding a 203-34 (.857) record in its time with Rec Hall as its permanent home. Overall, Penn State’s status in the arena sits at 203-35 (.857) after suffering a loss to No. 2 Ohio State in 2023-24.
The Nittany Lions have also experienced outstanding achievements against Big Ten opponents in games played inside Rec Hall, only losing two games overall and winning 44 with four undefeated seasons in their time at Rec Hall. The team produced a 12-0 record in 1984-85, and 11-0 season in 1986-87, a 15-0 1989-90 campaign and a 14-0 record in 1993-94.
The men’s basketball returns to Rec Hall for the second straight year after an electrifying victory over No. 12 Illinois this past season that saw fans storm the Rec Hall court in the Nittany Lions’ first return since 2015. Since moving into Bryce Jordan Center during the 1996 season, Penn State has played at Rec Hall on four occasions – Dec. 14, 2013 vs. Princeton (L, 79-81 OT), Dec. 10, 2015 vs. Canisius (W, 81-67), Dec. 12, 2015 vs. Louisiana-Monroe (W, 54-50) and Feb. 21, 2024 vs. No. 12 Illinois (W, 90-89). The Nittany Lions will host their second Big Ten opponent in a Return to Rec game when the Buckeyes come to Happy Valley Jan. 30.
The Nittany Lions defeated Wisconsin 79-50 in their final Rec Hall game on Jan. 7, 1996, before moving to their current home in the 15,261-seat Bryce Jordan Center the following game on Jan. 11, 1996. Rec Hall gained a reputation as one of the toughest places to play in the nation when it served as the home of the Nittany Lions from 1929-96.
That reputation was built on boisterous crowds who packed the arena to the rafters and a student section that was right on top of the floor.
Rec Hall had a final listed capacity of 6,846 for basketball, but more than 8,000 fans jammed into the iconic building for a basketball game six times in the building’s history, including a record 8,600 fans for a contest vs. Virginia on Dec. 5, 1973.
The Nittany Lions compiled a stellar 514-183 (.737) record in Rec Hall from 1929-96, including a 45-game win streak from 1951-55. That era saw the Nittany Lions reach the program’s only NCAA Final Four in 1954 behind All-American Jesse Arnelle and coach Elmer Gross. Arnelle is among a long list of Penn State greats to have made their mark on the Rec Hall floor, including names such as John Amaechi, Freddie Barnes, John Barr, Ron Brown, Monroe Brown, Carver Clinton, Dan Earl, Mark Dumars, Gene Harris, Deron Hayes, Tom Hovasse, Mike Lang, Pete Lisicky and Bob Weiss.
Penn State was led by nine different head coaches during the Rec Hall era, including longtime NBA coaches Dick Harter (1979-83) and John Bach (1969-78), the Nittany Lions’ all-time wins leader John Egli (1955-68), Helm’s Foundation Hall of Fame inductee John Lawther (1937-49) and Bruce Parkhill (1984-95). Parkhill led the Lions through one of the program’s most successful eras and into the Big Ten Conference with four-straight 20-win seasons and four-straight postseason appearances between 1988-92.
He was on the sideline when Penn State captured the Atlantic 10 Tournament championship on the Rec Hall floor in 1991.
