The Youngstown State Penguin Club will honor Ellen and Jim Tressel as the Penguins of the Year at Mr. Anthony's Banquet Center in Boardman on Thursday, Feb. 29.
Full tables ($1,000), half tables ($625), individual tickets ($125) and program advertisements are currently available for the evening. Deadline to purchase tickets and ads is Feb. 12. Please contact the Penguin Club office at (330) 941-2351 or (330) 941-7466 with any questions or take part in event.
The annual Scholarship Ring Banquet will be a busy event as we recognize YSU's recent conference champions - Men's Basketball (2022-23), Men's Indoor Track & Field (2023), Women's Indoor Track & Field (2023), Men's Outdoor Track & Field (2023), Women's Outdoor Track & Field (2023), Women's Tennis (2023) and Men's Cross Country (2023). Additionally, YSU earned the Horizon League's McCafferty Trophy for its excellence in the conference's 19 championship sports.
On the academic side, 417 of our student-athletes carry a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. In addition, almost half of our student-athletes had a 3.5 or higher Spring semester GPA, while 117 earned a semester GPA of 4.0.
This event is a great way for our supporters to meet our student-athletes who represent our institution and community so well. As always, proceeds from the dinner will be used to not only fund YSU's athletic scholarship program, but also provide championship rings for our outstanding student-athletes and coaches.
Full tables include seven dinner tickets, an autograph ball and a student-athlete sponsorship. Half tables include four dinner tickets, an autograph ball and a student-athlete sponsorship.
The Tressel's have made incredible contributions to the Mahoning Valley.
Ellen Tressel has spent time giving back to the community while serving on numerous boards and service organizations ranging from the James Cancer Hospital Foundation board, Akron Children's Hospital Foundation board, the Home Savings and Loan Board, COSI in Columbus, Ohio, just to name a few.
Ellen continues to remain involved with YSU and the community. She is co-chairing, with Jim Tressel, the campaign for the new YSU Student Center, and remains a member of the Beatitude House board and the Mahoning Valley Historical Society board.
Jim Tressel recently retired after serving nine years as the Youngstown State University president. He became the ninth president of Youngstown State University in 2014 and moved the campus forward on many fronts during his tenure.
Under President Tressel's leadership, enrollment increased, the academic quality of freshmen classes moved upward, student retention went up and the university solidly focused on student success - graduating on time, with little or no debt and with a job. In addition, the university hit record fund-raising levels, kept the lid on tuition costs, expanded scholarship opportunities and increased both university and private housing options across campus.
Prior to becoming YSU president, Tressel was executive vice president for Student Success at the University of Akron, head football coach at The Ohio State University (winning the national championship in 2002) and head football coach and executive director of Intercollegiate Athletics at YSU (winning four national championships).
Tressel spent 15 years as the head coach at Youngstown State and six as the Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics before being named the head football coach at The Ohio State University in January 2001.
At YSU, Tressel posted a record of 135-57-2 and led the program to Division I-AA National Championships in 1991, 1993, 1994 and 1997. He logged a winning percentage of .702 and reached the playoffs in 10 seasons. He won an impressive 24 playoff games and had seven 10-win seasons.
