Penn State Football Closes Training Camp With 'Best Day of the Year'

STATE COLLEGE | Penn State coach Matt Campbell took a knee next to a child in the huddle with his Nittany Lions players Friday night at Beaver Stadium. They designed a play, broke the huddle, and got set to run the call.

Campbell stood behind the line of scrimmage and watched as the Nittany Lions blocked teammates, paving a path for the kid to score a touchdown. Campbell watched the child celebrate in the end zone with his players. And when he turned around to greet the next kid in line, Campbell was smiling ear to ear.

“You see not only the coach that he is, but the type of human being that he is, and that's what he preaches each and every single day at our facility,” Penn State offensive lineman Cooper Cousins said. “You got to experience that first-hand today. He's a genuine human being. He's a great human being, an elite human being, and he does stuff for the community almost every single week.”

Campbell and the Penn State football team hosted Victory Day on Friday at Beaver Stadium, marking the ceremonial end of training camp. The event gives children with disabilities the chance to be a Penn State football player for a day. Campbell brought the tradition from Toledo and Iowa State and introduced it to the Nittany Lions this season. It was a big hit.

Penn State Nittany Lions football coach Matt Campbell leads the team through Victory Day at Beaver Stadium. | Will Horstman | Penn State on SI

The origins of Victory Day

The best TD celebrations you’ll see 😊 pic.twitter.com/nbDj0Z2CPV
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) August 29, 2026

Campbell was at a high school coaching clinic in Michigan during his first year as a head coach at Toledo in 2012. He spoke with high school coach Aaron Segedi, who began the Victory Day tradition with his team in Trenton, Michigan.

“Aaron's been a guy that I've leaned on,” Campbell said. “I just felt if I could bring this to college football and teach our young guys the value of making a difference in our community, I thought it was really important. And it became really important in Toledo, and it became really important at Iowa State, and it's been great to be able to bring it here.”

Numerous universities across the country have adopted Segedi’s Victory Day tradition. According to a news release from Toledo, Segedi is a cancer survivor who “was inspired to create the event after his life was saved by a liver donation from his sister.” Segedi founded the event in 2010.

Campbell said he started hosting Victory Day during his second year at Toledo in 2013. He continued the tradition throughout his time at Iowa State and now Penn State, helping highlight his priority of giving back to the community.

“This isn't a popularity contest,” said Campbell, a nominee for the All State AFCA Good Works Team. “This isn't trying to sell our program to anybody. This is to make a difference in the lives of other people. And to be honest with you, the more people we can make a difference in their lives, the better this opportunity is, and the more special this day becomes.”

Penn State gets its ‘spirits up’ heading into season

The best way to start the season! pic.twitter.com/zsD1aC9dnc
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) August 29, 2026

Victory Day also marked the end of Penn State’s training camp, which began Aug. 5. After nearly a month of practices, and a week before the season-opener against Marshall on Sept. 5, the players got a chance to serve their community.

“Obviously it gets your spirits up,” Cousins said. “Hearing the band play gets you motivated. And all those touchdowns that we score, we want to score more.”

Quarterback Rocco Becht, who transferred from Iowa State, called Victory Day the “best day of the year” for him. He said it was important to “give back to these kids to see a smile on their face.” The festivities kicked off with the Blue Band performing its usual pregame program as the kids came out of the tunnel to hear their names announced in Beaver Stadium.

In addition to giving the kids the chance to score touchdowns on the field, some players threw footballs with the participants, while others led them through tackling drills and more. Campbell was right there with them in helping the kids have a memorable night, something that the players noticed.

“He's invested in us,” Becht said. “He's invested in this program, invested in our life, whether it be on the field or off the field. He's just here to support us in any way that he can, and you can see the fun that he has with us, calling the plays, leading them out into the huddle. It’s something special to see him be so a part of this big Victory Day.”

Victory Day 2026 😃 pic.twitter.com/dNz0bm2uLx
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) August 28, 2026

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