Penn State is home to some of the most historic, established sports programs in the nation. Boasting 29 NCAA Division I teams, Penn State has been proud to see thousands of professional athletes and Olympians wear the blue and white. 

With over 100 years of combined athletic involvement, Nittany Lions have soared to new heights, pushed the limits, and challenged the bar of excellence. Though most Penn State records continue to change, many performances have stood the test of time.

We dove into the record books to look at Penn State’s most “unbreakable” records across all of its sports teams. While women’s volleyball’s 109-match win streak will always amaze, as will wrestling’s dynastic dominance, we decided to focus solely on individual records. Here are six that feature longevity and an awe-factor that leaves fans marveling. 

Carter Starocci’s Five National Championships In Wrestling (2021 To 2025)

Though many of the listed records use the term “unbreakable” in a looser, more hyperbolic sense, Carter Starocci’s record is not that. Due to the extra year of eligibility granted to Starocci as a result of COVID-19, the wrestler was able to qualify for the NCAA Championships five times, miraculously winning the title in all of them.

No other grappler in all of NCAA Division I has achieved this feat, and it’s unlikely that anyone ever will. The level of dominance it takes to win four national titles is extremely high, as only seven wrestlers have done so. Add in a rare fifth year, and the odds of matching this record go way up, let alone having the eligibility to break it.

Starocci capped off his run in 2025, defeating Northern Iowa’s Parker Keckeisen in the 184-pound weight class to secure the victory in Philadelphia. 

Suzie McConnell-Serio’s 1,307 Career Assists (1984 To 1988)

Suzie McConnell-Serio was a legend for the Lady Lions in the 1980s. Along with her career assists record, she also held the record for assists in a single season at 355, as well as the single-season assist-per-game record average of 11.8.

A true team player, McConnell-Serio’s record of 1,307 stands as the highest mark in the NCAA to this day. In comparison, now women’s basketball legend Caitlin Clark from Iowa sits in third place, nearly 200 assists behind McConnell-Serio. No one has even eclipsed the 1,200 mark, so the record is safe for the foreseeable future.

McConnell-Serio has since coached multiple basketball teams at both the collegiate and professional level, including in the WNBA, where she won Coach of the Year with the Minnesota Lynx.

Jesse Arnelle’s 1,238 Career Rebounds (1951 To 1955)

In one of Penn State basketball’s longest-standing records, Arnelle recorded over 1,200 rebounds throughout his illustrious Penn State career as a power forward. He also held the Nittany Lion scoring record for over five decades at 2,138 points. 

Arnelle was Penn State’s only first-team All-American, and still sits atop the record board in six statistical categories. He was the top rebounder and scorer for every year of his Penn State tenure.

Widely considered the greatest Penn State hooper of all time, Arnelle also doubled as a football player for Rip Engel’s squad. He was drafted to both the NFL and NBA, selected by the Los Angeles Rams and the Fort Wayne Pistons.

Shorty Miller’s 250-Yard Rushing Game As A Quarterback (1913)

Over a century ago, Miller was nothing short of incredible. In a game against Carnegie Tech University, he scrambled for 250 yards. To put that in perspective, Saquon Barkley’s best single-game rushing performance at Penn State was 211 yards.

One of the greatest, if not the greatest, scrambling Penn State quarterbacks of the modern era was Trace McSorley. His record for rushing yards in a game was 175. While he nearly eclipsed the 200 mark, he fell well short when compared to Miller.

There’s a reason this school record has stood the test of time. While Miller no longer holds the NCAA record, he did for nearly 70 years. It is unlikely that any Nittany Lion will come close shortly.

Dave Simononis’ .478 Batting Average (1978)

Simononis was an outfielder for the Nittany Lions in the 1970s when he rewrote the record book. In 1978, Simononis hit for a miraculous .478, meaning he recorded a hit nearly 50 percent of the time. With a season consisting of 90 at-bats, Simononis’ other impressive statistics featured a 1.100 slugging percentage, another school record, as his offensive production propelled the Nittany Lions to 17 wins.

.478 has remained the Penn State baseball single-season batting average record even today. No one has come close to touching it in the 21st century aside from outfielder Michael Campo, who batted .450 back in 2000.

Simononis was drafted in the 20th round by the Detroit Tigers, but his major league career never panned out.

Joe Paterno’s 409 Wins (1966-2011)

409. That number, immortalized in Penn State history, stands alone on the record board. In Paterno’s 46-year career as head coach of the Nittany Lion football team, he boasted a .749 winning percentage and the most Division I wins in NCAA history. The next closest coach on the leaderboard is Florida State’s legendary Bobby Bowden, who owns 346 wins. Alabama icon Nick Saban, a seven-time national champion, has over 100 fewer wins than Paterno.

The remarkable feat of accumulating 409 wins is as much of a testament to Paterno’s longevity as it is to his talent as a mentor and play caller. His tenure lasted longer than any other NCAA Division I football coach, and he helped lead the team to 24 bowl victories and two national titles during that span.

The record amount of wins is featured on merchandise and buildings across Penn State’s campus, including being incorporated into a tile tribute on South Fraser Street.