Penn State Makes TV Appearance As ‘Jeopardy!’ Answer
Give me “Big Ten” for $800, Ken.
Penn State was featured on national television on Thursday night, and it wasn’t because of the football or women’s volleyball programs. Instead, the university served as an answer on the quiz show “Jeopardy!”
With $800 riding on the “The 18-School Big Ten” category, “What is Penn State?” was the right answer to the question, “One theory says this once-independent u.’s ‘Happy Valley’ got its name in the Depression, when the school’s stability kept hard times away.”
The origins of the name “Happy Valley” have long been debated. However, if host Ken Jennings had read Onward State in 2015, he would’ve known that the term “Happy Valley” came from a columnist in the Centre Daily Times, not economic stability in the Great Depression as often suggested.
Penn State has often been involved in “Jeopardy!” over the years, with several students and alumni featured on the show while the university has given contestants several thousands of dollars as correct answers.
Your ad blocker is on.
Please choose an option below.
Purchase a Subscription!
About the Author
‘Best Night Of My Life’: Adam Taliaferro Looks Back On His Beaver Stadium Return 25 Years Later
On September 1, 2026, we will be reminded that the tunnel was not the end of the story, but the beginning.
Penn State Football Quarterback Alex Manske Primed For Game Action Against Marshall
“He’s forced us to have to play him, and he’s been really good, especially with going through what he did.”
Alleged Leader Of Penn State’s Drug Trafficking Ring Challenging Denial Of Bail
Agostino Abbatiello is a former Penn State student and member of Sigma Chi.
