Rumors had been circling in the past week, but today changes to Penn State’s 2012 uniforms were finally announced. In addition to a blue ribbon that represents support for child abuse victims, player names will be added to Penn State jerseys this season for the first time in school history.

“We want our fans to know and recognize these young men,” O’Brien said. “They have stuck together during tough times, and I commend them for the leadership they have shown. Moving forward, I’m deeply committed to honoring Penn State’s traditions, while building a bright future for our football program.”

The blue ribbon is a nice gesture, but I don’t really see the purpose of putting names on the jerseys after they’ve been blank for so long. Is this something O’Brien and company would have done even if the Sandusky scandal never happened? Or is it an attempt to distance the school from Paterno? One also has to wonder if the names will eventually be removed from the jerseys again or if this is just step one of a complete overhaul of the PSU uniforms.

Also, where exactly is the ribbon going to be located on the jersey? Above the nameplate like on an NBA uniform or on the shoulder like with a bowl badge? Maybe the ribbon will end up on the helmet. Hopefully we’ll find out soon so that the stores of downtown State College can start selling these puppies.

Right now, all we know for sure is that we’ll be able to more easily tell Paul Jones from Stephen Obeng-Agyapong this fall.