The Paterno family knows a thing or two about college football. Jay Paterno, son of Penn State legend Joe Paterno, released a new book titled “Blitzed! The All-Out Pressure of College Football’s New Era” in September 2024.

The book explored college football’s intense and fast-evolving landscape. Paterno delved into the pressures that coaches, players, and administrators face as the stakes grow higher each season. Due to his experience with college football, Paterno looked inside the new recruiting pressures, public scrutiny, and the high expectations of fans. He also reflected on how much college football has changed since he left coaching.

“It did not change much the first several years I was out,” he told Onward State. “Since the last three years when the NIL law passed in California and the number of lawsuits the NCAA has lost, it’s changed dramatically.”

In the college football world, many fans and coaches view the movement as a negative change, while Paterno was torn on whether it will benefit the sport or not.

“I think some of this is positive and that student-athletes have more ability to advocate for themselves and make some money and things like that,” he said. “I think it’s also a negative in that it’s created a lot of instability.”

Some may argue that the instability that comes with NIL starts with schools competing with each other. In his new book, Paterno elaborated on the effects of NIL on colleges and the players.

“I think one of the things that this book talks about is the pressures on the student-athletes that come with these new things,” he said. “The thing that this book delves into is a good chunk of it is the mental health issues that players now face with all these pressures, as well as the coaches face.”

Paterno wrote that coaches bear the brunt, as they are responsible not only for team performance but also for supporting players through these evolving challenges, often without the resources to do so. Through his book, Paterno shed light on the urgent need for mental health resources and support systems that address the holistic needs of student-athletes, advocating for a more balanced and compassionate approach to college sports in this new era.

“I think this is going to have to land in a place where there is collective bargaining so that the schools and the players are both on an equal footing,” Paterno said. “There are some rules that are in place that everybody has to adhere to without collective bargaining and representation.”

He also emphasized the need for light to be shown on women’s sports, especially at Penn State.

“What does revenue sharing look like for women’s sports?” Paterno said. “As you start to look down the road at what women’s basketball is doing, what women’s volleyball is doing, some of these other sports, what’s going to happen?”

Jay Paterno’s father, Joe, was a legendary college football coach at Penn State where he served as head coach for an unprecedented 46 years. Beyond his success on the field, where he became the winningest college football coach in Division I history, Joe Paterno was known for his deep commitment to education and the development of student-athletes. His focus on the academic and personal success of his players helped shape a culture where student-athletes were encouraged to prioritize their studies, preparing them for life beyond sports.

When asked what he thinks his father would do in this situation, Paterno said he would have been ahead of the curve.

“The reality is, three or four years ago, when this looked like it was going to happen, I think he would have been somebody to advocate, to say, ‘Let’s figure this thing out before we get into the court,'” Paterno said. “I think he would have been ahead of the curve in that regard, and he would probably be advocating those kinds of things right now so that there is a national solution and create a level playing field for every school.”

“He was always an advocate for student-athletes and for us doing as much as we possibly could for student-athletes because he understood that they were the reason that we’re here, but he would have really pushed to make sure that the education piece stayed in place,” he continued.

Penn State football is aiming to compete in the new 12-team College Football Playoff format this season. With this, some may question if they can compete for a national championship in the modern era of the sport. Paterno believes the Nittany Lions could.

“I think at the end of the day to win the whole thing, you need a group of guys that are all on the same page, and you need a real team concept,” Paterno said. “I think you’re seeing that with the way they’re playing right now.”

Paterno’s book is available on Amazon.