University Park, Pa. — When Penn State travels to Minneapolis this weekend, TCF Bank Stadium will become the 65th different facility Joe Paterno has led the Nittany Lions into as head coach.
The Nittany Lions tangle with the Golden Gophers Saturday at 11 a.m. CT/noon ET in the 50,805-seat facility, which opened in 2009.
TCF Bank Stadium is the first football facility constructed by a Big Ten institution since Indiana’s Memorial Stadium and Penn State’s Beaver Stadium were built in 1960. The Nittany Lions began Big Ten competition in 1993.
The Minnesota game will be Paterno’s 533rd contest since becoming the Nittany Lions’ head coach in 1966, owning a career record of 397-132-3. He has coached 276 games in Beaver Stadium and TCF Bank Stadium will become the 64th away or neutral site venue the Hall of Fame mentor has coached in over 257 contests.
FedExField in Landover, Md. will become Paterno’s 66th different stadium to coach in on Nov. 20, when the Nittany Lions face Indiana at the Washington Redskins’ facility. Prior to TCF Bank Stadium, Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field had been the most recent new stadium for Paterno and Penn State in a 2007 contest against Temple.
Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. has hosted a Paterno-led team 13 times, the most of any away venue. The facility opened in 1976 and Penn State’s first contest there was against Rutgers in 1977 and its last one was the 2000 Kickoff Classic vs. USC. The Nittany Lions will meet Syracuse on August 31, 2013 at the New Meadowlands Stadium, which replaced Giants Stadium this year.
Top Away Stadiums Joe Paterno has most frequently coached in (since 1966):
13 – Giants Stadium
12 – Pitt Stadium
11 – Kinnick Stadium
10 – Ohio Stadium and Spartan Stadium
| Stadiums Joe Paterno Has Coached In As Head Coach (1966-present) |
| 1. Beaver Stadium (Penn State – 276 games) |
| 2. Alamodome (Alamo Bowl – 2007 & 1999 (Texas A&M) |
| 3. Aloha Stadium (Aloha Bowl – 1983 (Washington) |
| 4. Alumni Stadium (Boston College – 2004,1990,82,72,70,68,67) |
| 5. Archbold Stadium (Syracuse – 1977,75,73,71,69,67) |
| 6. Bobby Dodd Stadium (Georgia Tech – 1966) |
| 7. Bryant-Denny Stadium (Alabama – 2010, 1990, 86, 84) |
| 8. Byrd Stadium (Maryland – 1993, 85,80,79,75,73,70,68,67) |
| 9. Camp Randall Stadium (Wisconsin – 2008,06,04,02,1998,96,70) |
| 10. Cardinal Stadium (Louisville – 1997) |
| 11. Carrier Dome (Syracuse – 2008,1989,87,85, 83,81) |
| 12. Carter-Finley Stadium (North Carolina State – 1981,79,77,74,69) |
| 13. Commonwealth Stadium (Kentucky – 1978,76) |
| 14. Cotton Bowl (Cotton Bowl-Baylor-1974, Texas-1971) |
| 15. Cougar Stadium (Brigham Young – 1992) |
| 16. Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (Texas – 1989) |
| 17. Dolphins Stadium (Blockbuster Bowl – 1992 (Stanford), 1990 (Florida State) & FedEx Orange Bowl – 2005 (Florida State) |
| 18. Falcon Stadium (Air Force – 1973) |
| 19. Faurot Field, Columbia (Missouri – 1980) |
| 20. Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium (Capital One Bowl, 2009 (LSU), 2002 (Auburn) & Florida Citrus Bowl (1997 (Florida) 1993 (Tennessee), 87 (Clemson) |
| 21. Folsom Field (Colorado – 1970) |
| 22. Franklin Field (Temple – 1994, 75) |
| 23. Gator Bowl Stadium (Gator Bowl – Notre Dame-1976, Florida State-1967) |
| 24. Giants Stadium, E. Rutherford, N.J. – 2000 (USC), 96 (Temple, USC), 95 (Rutgers), 92 (Rutgers), 91 (Georgia Tech), 89 (Rutgers), 85 (Rutgers), 84 (Texas), 83(Rutgers, Nebraska),79 (Syracuse),77 (Rutgers) |
| 25. Jack Murphy/Qualcomm Stadium (Holiday Bowl – 1989 (BYU) |
| 26. Kinnick Stadium (Iowa – 2010,08,03,01,1999,95,93,84,75,74,71) |
| 27. Kyle Field (Texas A&M – 1980) |
| 28. KSU Stadium (Kansas State – 1969) |
| 29. Legion Field (Alabama – 1988, 82) |
| 30. Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium (Liberty Bowl -Tulane-1979) |
| 31. Lincoln Financial Field (Temple 2007) |
| 32. Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum (Southern California – 1991,90; UCLA 1968, 66) |
| 33. Louisiana Superdome (Sugar Bowl – 1982 (Georgia), 1978 (Alabama), 1975 (Alabama) |
| 34. Memorial Stadium, Baltimore (Maryland – 1991,89,87) |
| 35. Memorial Stadium, Bloomington (Indiana – 2007,04,02,1996,94) |
| 36. Memorial Stadium, Champaign (Illinois – 2009,07,05,01,1999,97,94,72) |
| 37. Memorial Stadium, Lincoln (Nebraska – 2003,1981,79) |
| 38. Metrodome (Minnesota – 2006,04,00,1998,94) |
| 39. Michie Stadium (Army – 1974,72,70,66) |
| 40. Michigan Stadium (Michigan – 2009,07,05,02,00,1998,96,94) |
| 41. Mountaineer Field (West Virginia – 1978,76,74,72,71,68,66) |
| 42. New Mountaineer Field (West Virginia – 1992,90,88,86,84,82,80) |
| 43. Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium (Navy – 1973,71,69,67) |
| 44. Neyland Stadium (Tennessee – 1972,71) |
| 45. Nippert Stadium (Cincinnati – 1992) |
| 46. Notre Dame Stadium (Notre Dame – 2006,1992,90,88,86,84,82) |
| 47. Ohio Stadium (Ohio State – 2008,06,04,02,00,1998,96,93,78,75) |
| 48. Orange Bowl Stadium – (Miami-1999, 91, 81,76,67. Orange Bowl – 1985 (Oklahoma), 1973 (LSU), 1969 (Missouri), 1968 (Kansas) |
| 49. Pitt Stadium (Pittsburgh – 1998,91,89,87,85, 83, 81, 77,71,69,68,66) |
| 50. Raymond James Stadium (Outback Bowl – 2006 (Tennessee), 1998 (Kentucky) |
| 51. RCA Dome (Indiana – 2000) |
| 52. Riverfront Stadium (Cincinnati – 1985) |
| 53. Rose Bowl (Rose Bowl – USC-2008, Oregon-1994) |
| 54. Ross-Ade Stadium (Purdue – 2008,06,03,1999,97,95) |
| 55. Ryan Field (Northwestern – 2009,05,03,01,1997,95,93) |
| 56. Scott Stadium (Virginia – 2001,88) |
| 57. Spartan Stadium (Michigan State – 2009,07,05,03,01,1999,97,95,93,66) |
| 58. Stanford Stadium (Stanford – 1973) |
| 59. Sullivan Stadium (Boston College – 1987, 86, 83) |
| 60. Sun Devil Stadium (Fiesta Bowl – 1996 (Texas), 91 (Tennessee), 86 (Miami), 82 (USC), 80 (Ohio State), 77 (Arizona State) |
| 61. Tampa Stadium (Outback Bowl – 1995 Auburn) |
| 62. TCF Bank Stadium (Minnesota 2010) |
| 63. Three Rivers Stadium (Pittsburgh – 2000, 1976,75,74,) |
| 64. Tulane Stadium (Sugar Bowl – Oklahoma-1972) |
| 65. Veterans Stadium (Temple – 1991,88,83,80,78,76) |
| 276 games in Beaver Stadium 257 games in other stadiums Total 533 games, including 2010 Minnesota game As of October 23, 2010 |