Penn State football head coach Matt Campbell had a busy weekend making appearances across the board from the Nittany Lions' Friday night wrestling match to the men's hockey game at Beaver Stadium.
Matt Campbell and Penn State are making moves with a Top 10 Class of 2027 recruit
Campbell and Penn State wrestling head coach Cael Sanderson had an opportunity to talk about Campbell's transition from Iowa State to Happy Valley after he was hired, offering the new coach some advice. On Friday, the two had a chance to meet in person and Sanderson had nothing but positive things to say about Campbell.
"He's just our kind of guy," Sanderson said. "[He's] respected and focused. I don't know him really well, but I'm looking forward to spending more time with him. We communicated back-and-forth a few times, talk on the phone; but, I think he's going to do a great job and I think we're in a good spot."
Cael Sanderson offered valuable advice to Matt Campbell when the new Nittany Lions’ football coach was considering leaving Iowa State for Penn State. On Friday night, Sanderson discussed what it’s been like with Campbell in Happy Valley for the last two months:
— Basic Blues Nation (@BasicBlues) January 31, 2026
“He’s just our… pic.twitter.com/GgIrlbQoVc
Campbell addressed the crowd matside at the Bryce Jordan Center before the dual began. He was met with boisterous applause as he took the floor.
On Saturday, the appearances continued for Campbell. Sporting a white Nittany Lion hockey sweater with his name and the No. 17 on it, he made the honorary puck drop for the Penn State vs. Michigan State game in the afternoon. He dropped the puck for the teams' selected captains, junior forward Dane Dowiak and senior defenseman Matt Basgall before the contest started.
Welcome to Hockey Valley 🏒#WeAre | @PennStateMHKY pic.twitter.com/iHpMDm334e
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) January 31, 2026
His players, including quarterback Rocco Becht and tight ends Andrew Rappleyea and Brett Eskildsen, joined Campbell for the outdoor game. They were just a few of the total 74,575 attendees at Beaver Stadium for the event.
Friday afternoon, the women's hockey team defeated Robert Morris. The men's team sought to bounce back from a loss at Pegula Ice Arena and pull out a win on the ice laid down at Beaver Stadium. The Nittany Lions fell 6-3 Friday night.
big hockey guys @PennStateFball 🙂↕️🏒#WeAre pic.twitter.com/BxDoIyf438
— Penn State Athletics (@GoPSUsports) January 31, 2026
They and the Spartans entered the third period tied up at 3-3. Penn State took its second lead of the game, 4-3, just over four minutes into the period with an unassisted goal from freshman forward Shea Van Olm. This was his third goal of the 2025-26 season.