Matt Campbell had an NFL door open in 2021, but he didn’t walk through it. Instead, he stayed put at Iowa State and eventually made the move to Penn State in 2026 - a decision he explained Tuesday at Big Ten Football Media Days in Chicago.
Earlier this year, ESPN reported that Campbell had agreed to become the Detroit Lions’ head coach in 2021 before changing his mind. The Lions job ultimately went to Dan Campbell.
So why Penn State, and why not the NFL?
Campbell pointed first to what Iowa State meant to him over 10 seasons in Ames.
“Yeah, you know, for me, I really loved my time in Ames, Iowa, and I’m really proud of what we were able to accomplish at Iowa State in our 10 years,” Campbell said.
He also made clear that leaving Iowa State would only happen for the right kind of fit.
“Great players, great people, great community. If we were ever going to leave Iowa State, it was going to have to be a school and an institution that really fit how I believe and what I believe and how you build culture, how you build team and how you build forward.”
For Campbell, Penn State checked those boxes.
“I think for the last six months, we’ve been reminded why it was such a great fit for us at Penn State,” Campbell said.
He pointed to the program’s identity as the key draw.
“I think the history, what it means to play there, but how you do it, the integrity, the character and the class in its finest moments, what Penn State football has really stood for, really resonated with myself and certainly my background. It really had to be a perfect fit.”
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Penn States Iconic Jersey Is About To Change Forever
Penn States football uniforms are headed for a noticeable change, with athletic director Pat Kraft confirming the program will soon add a corporate logo patch to the jersey. It is the kind of move that has become increasingly common across the Big Ten, where schools have leaned harder into sponsorship revenue while trying to preserve the look and feel of their most recognizable brands.
For Penn State, the decision fits a broader push to find new money wherever it can, from a cryptocurrency fan token platform to a stadium field-naming rights agreement. Kraft said the department is taking a careful approach to choosing the right partner, which underscores the balancing act here: protecting tradition on Saturdays while acknowledging that the business side of college sports keeps changing. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Fans Can See This Uniform Change Coming Now
The new era of commercial patches on college uniforms is already taking shape across the Big Ten, and Penn State has plenty of company watching closely. The NCAA approved the change, and schools such as Illinois, Northwestern, Michigan State and Ohio State have already moved ahead with jersey sponsorship deals, turning what once sounded far-fetched into a fast-growing reality for the league.
For Penn State, the question is no longer whether this kind of partnership fits the landscape, but when the Nittany Lions will join it. Ohio States agreement has set the market in motion, and Penn State is expected to land something similar, with the kind of corporate name that would make sense on a jersey in Happy Valley. An announcement has not been made yet, but the direction of travel is clear enough that fans can probably see the patch coming before long. [Read more 🡒]
Pat Kraft Just Framed A Massive Penn State Crossroads
Penn States athletic department is staring at the same financial pressure facing a lot of major programs, and Pat Kraft spent time laying out how the school is trying to keep pace without losing what makes it distinctive. The athletic director pointed to naming rights, commercial partnerships and fundraising as the main tools helping the department cover its operations and stay competitive, a sign that the business side of college sports is now as central as anything happening on the field.
Kraft also made clear that not every revenue idea is going to be chased at full speed. Penn State is taking a careful look at jersey patch sponsorships, but it is not rushing toward that kind of move, especially with the program weighing modernization against the pull of tradition. For a department trying to balance its books and protect its identity at the same time, that is the real crossroads. [Read more 🡒]