Volume 13

Vol. 13 May 24, 2025 

College Football Playoffs 

The College Football Playoffs have just changed. Instead of conference champions getting the top four seeds and first-round byes, it will be the top four teams based on the rankings. Yes, there will still be five spots for five conference champions. That means in 2024 the seeding would have looked alot dierent. Oregon, Georgia, and Clemson would have all retained the same seed. Texas and Penn State would get byes. Tennessee and Indiana would have hosted a first round game. 

Ronald Acuna Jr 

On Friday night, Ronald Acuna Jr made his MLB season debut. Acuna, the 2023 NL MVP, tore his left ACL last may. On Friday, hitting in his customary leado spot, Acuna went 2-4 with a homerun and a single. On the first pitch Acuna saw during his first at bat, he belted it to deep left-center for a 467 foot HR. 

The Protector of the Year 

The NFL has announced a new award– The Protector of the Year Award. The Protector of the Year (POTY) will be handed out for the first time next February at the NFL Honors. POTY will go to the top oensive lineman from the past season. There will be a committee of former O-lineman who will select the winner. The panel includes LeCharles Bentley, Jason Kelce, Andrew Witworth, Shaun O’Hara, Orlando Pace, and Will Shields. The credit for creating the award goes mostly to current Bualo Bills OL Dion Dawkins. Dawkins has been pushing for an award for the big guys. There were many conversations with Roger Goodell. Dawkins mentioned in a news conference last year unprompted that they needed an award for offensive lineman.

NBA Playoffs 

The NBA Playoffs conference championships are underway. In the West, MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder lead the Minnesota Timberwolves and Anthony Edwards 2-0. SGA dropped 31 & 38 points in the first two games. In the East, the Indiana Pacers are leading the New York Knicks 2-0. Jalen Brunson scored 30+ in both games but the Knicks could not keep up. 

NHL Playoffs 

The NHL playoffs conference finals are going strong. In the West, the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers are tied 1-1. In Game 1, the Oilers took a 3-1 lead into the third period, but the Stars stormed back with 5 goals in the last 20 minutes to win 6-3. In Game 2, the Oilers blanked the Stars, winning 3-0. In the East, the Florida Panthers lead the Carolina Hurricanes 2-0. The Panthers have been a scoring machine, winning 5-2 and 5-0, respectively. 

What a Year for Penn State! 

(By Editor, Neil) 

Is this the best year in Penn State sports history? It might very well be. Athletic Director Pat Kraft’s eorts to build success across all programs really showed during the 2024-25 year. Along with the Football team’s memorable run to the Big Ten Championship game and College Football Playo Final Four, a slew of other Nittany Lion teams have made their mark this season. The Wrestling and Women’s Volleyball teams won national championships, adding to their storied histories. On top of that, after an 0-9 Big Ten start, the Men’s Hockey team reached the Frozen Four. The Women’s Hockey team won the AHA title and reached the national tournament. The Men’s Volleyball team made it to the NC quaterfinals. Men’s Gymnastics won the Big Ten regular season title and finished fifth in the national tournament. The Women’s Soccer team made it to the round of 16 in the national tournament. And currently, to round out the school year, the Baseball team has reached the Big Ten tournament semifinals and Men’s Lacrosse has made it to Memorial Day Weekend of the NCAA tournament, facing Cornell in the Final Four. What a great year it has been for Penn State sports!