Penn State Basketball Needs More Support from Athletic Administration

Columnist Dave Jones discusses the challenges facing the Penn State men's basketball program and what it will take to become consistently competitive in the Big Ten.

Mar. 13, 2026 at 7:11pm

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In a recent interview on the Landon Tengwall Show, retired PennLive columnist Dave Jones discussed the current state of the Penn State men's basketball program. Jones highlighted two main issues facing the team - a lack of tradition and passion for basketball in central Pennsylvania, as well as a significant disadvantage in financial resources compared to other Big Ten programs, especially when it comes to NIL deals. Jones believes Penn State's athletic director and administration need to do more to support the basketball program, including tapping into wealthy alumni donors, in order for the team to become consistently competitive with the top teams in the conference.

Why it matters

Penn State's men's basketball program has struggled to gain traction and build a strong fanbase in the highly competitive Big Ten conference. Without the same level of financial resources and donor support as their peers, the Nittany Lions have a hard time attracting top talent and building a winning program. This story highlights the challenges facing the program and the need for the university's athletic administration to make basketball a higher priority.

The details

In the interview, Jones discussed how central Pennsylvania sports fans simply don't have the same passion for basketball as other parts of the Midwest. He said that even when the team is struggling, fans in other Big Ten markets will still show up to support their teams, but that's not the case at Penn State. Jones also noted that the basketball program doesn't receive nearly the same level of financial support from the university as other sports, putting them at a major disadvantage when it comes to NIL deals that are crucial for recruiting top talent in today's college sports landscape. He said the average NIL payroll for middle-of-the-pack Big Ten basketball programs is $8-10 million, while Penn State is well below that.

  • The interview with Dave Jones took place this past week on the Landon Tengwall Show on TFN Radio 98.7 The Fox.
  • Penn State's men's basketball team suffered a first-round loss in the Big Ten Tournament last Tuesday.

The players

Dave Jones

A retired columnist for the Patriot-News and PennLive.com who covered Penn State men's basketball since 1989.

Pat Kraft

The athletic director at Penn State University.

Mike Rhoades

The head coach of the Penn State men's basketball team.

Terry Pegula

A wealthy Penn State alumnus known for his contributions to the university's hockey program.

Ira Lubert

A Penn State alumnus who has financially supported the university's wrestling program.

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What they’re saying

“If they're (Penn State basketball) not competitive, they're (fans) not going to show up. If the weather is bad, they're not going to show up. If they have to drive too long at night on a weeknight, they're not going to show up...and that's what people who grew up around Central Pennsylvania do not understand about the rest of this conference.”

— Dave Jones, Retired Columnist (TFN Radio 98.7 The Fox)

“We'll do everything we can to bring the guys back that want to be here for all the right reasons and do it and build on it and get them some really good players around them and do this right. Since I've been here, we've had some really good wins. We just don't have enough, and that's got to be the goal. It starts with the guys that are in that locker room for all the right reasons.”

— Mike Rhoades, Head Coach (TFN Radio 98.7 The Fox)

What’s next

The Penn State athletic department and administration will need to make significant investments and efforts to support the men's basketball program this offseason in order to help the team become more competitive in the Big Ten.

The takeaway

Penn State's men's basketball program faces an uphill battle to become consistently competitive in the Big Ten due to a lack of tradition and fan support in central Pennsylvania, as well as a significant disadvantage in financial resources compared to their conference peers. The university's athletic administration will need to make basketball a higher priority and find ways to increase funding and donor support for the program if they want to see it succeed at the highest levels of college basketball.