A Quinnipiac University Poll released today says that 59 percent of Pennsylvania residents support the return of the Joe Paterno statue to a prominent location on campus. The poll, which surveyed 1,023 adult Pennsylvanians, showed that 25 percent of residents were against the statue’s return while 16 percent did not know or had no opinion.

Taken between Jan. 22 and Feb. 1, the survey also reported that Pennsylvanians support the settlement between Penn State and the NCAA to restore the football team’s wins by a margin of 64 to 15 percent. The results were essentially the same across age groups and gender, but the largest supporters of the statue’s return were those 55 years of age and older, 66 percent of whom were in favor of bringing back the bronze effigy.

“It appears time heals all wounds and legends get a second chance,” said Tim Malloy, assistant director of the poll. “Joe Pa’s tarnished image may never be totally repaired, but Pennsylvanians seem to be in a forgiving mood.”

The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., collects information from Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio, Virginia, Iowa, Colorado, and other states via popular opinion surveys for use in research as well as a general source of information. For Penn Staters, however, the information contained in the poll released today can be used as leverage to fight for the return of the statue.

For more information about the Quinnipiac University Poll, you can check out its website here.