Columnist Piper Slinka-Petka discusses sports culture at Penn and explores ways for the University to encourage students to show up for sports.
Credit: Weining DingThe Palestra is empty. Franklin Field is desolate. A tumbleweed occasionally rolls through Penn Park. Our athletes are unsupported, and so are their wins.
It is no secret that athletics aren’t a big priority at Penn. Some would argue that it’s because we’re so academically focused. I think we all know that’s wrong. Penn students spend more time planning BYOs than studying for classes. And other schools with intelligent students are still packing their stadiums. Look at Michigan, Notre Dame, or Duke students camping out for tickets — come on!
It’s also not a secret that generally, Penn’s teams are not wildly successful. While our losses might not be of concern to many Penn students, I think the athletes who spend hours practicing and sweating for a win would appreciate a little more recognition, and maybe even a student section that shows up.
But this isn’t news; many a cry has emerged from students begging Penn to show some school spirit and start winning. I’m not here to complain too. I’m here to propose a solution.
My solution is best explained using our city’s favorite sports team: the Philadelphia Eagles. The Eagles finished out their 2024-25 season with an incredible Super Bowl win and an additional Lombardi trophy to display. Their success could be attributed to their almost comically stacked roster. But what really sealed the deal is the cultural motivation behind the team. I don’t just mean a packed Lincoln Financial Field and every father in Philadelphia cursing at the TV — I mean a narrative.
Think about it: The Eagles created a story with their season. Jason Kelce, the team’s beloved center, retired. Saquon Barkley, a newly acquired running back and formerly neglected member of the New York Giants, suddenly broke former running back Terrell Davis’ season rushing yard record with the Birds. Defensive end Brandon Graham got injured in Week 12, only to return for the last game of the season (and his last pro game ever). Rumors swirled about difficulties in coaching and the tumultuous relationship between quarterback Jalen Hurts and star receiver A.J. Brown. Dallas Cowboys defensive end Micah Parson called the Eagles’ dominant victory over the Cowboys the result of just “five plays.” These are all moments that built a narrative.
The Eagles winning the Super Bowl felt natural, right? It was like the ending to a perfect story. This “story” created a home field advantage for the Eagles wherever they went. A home field advantage isn’t just a phrase; it’s a studied, and yes, scientific, phenomenon. Studies confirm that teams perform better when they have a stadium full of emotionally invested fans. It’s not magic — players are merely rising to the energy around them. The Eagles didn’t dominate only because of their world-class players, but also because they knew what was behind them.
At Penn, we don’t have that for our athletes. Not because we don’t care, but because we’ve never been given a reason to. There’s no story pulling us in, no larger meaning behind the wins or losses. And without that, it’s hard to rally.
But we can change this. Penn can create that story for our athletics.
First, we need a buyable social media presence, including a student-run “barstool” account (which nearly every other college has). We need our athletes to feel like people, celebrities even, that we want to root for. Give us personalities and rivalries and jokes. Students want pregame interviews and mic’d up practices; I want to see senior guard Stina Almqvist’s morning routine. We need to believe in the players to support their stories.
Next, we need better branding: theme nights, tailgates, and good halftime performers. Scavenger hunts for free shirts, pop-up events on Locust Walk, rally towels at 1920 Commons, something. We have to make the games feel like something we can’t miss instead of another email in our inbox.
Right now is the time to do it, because we have the stories. We have a new and talented men’s basketball coach, Fran McCaffery. We have a star freshman guard, AJ Levine, returning to Penn from the transfer portal. We have former five-star recruit TJ Power committing to Penn men’s basketball. We have Penn women’s tennis defeating Princeton, the reigning Ivy League champion. And how could I forget: We have Penn men’s squash becoming two-time national champions.
We have the talent. We have the stories. If Penn wants us to care about athletics, we have to meet in the middle. Build the narrative. Create the story. Make the culture. Give us something worth showing up for, and we will. Our athletes are already showing up. It’s time the rest of us did, too.
Because if we start showing up, we win.
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