Penn State Cancels 2016 Coaches Caravan

Penn State's wonderful traveling circus of athletic conversation, known to you and I as the Coaches Caravan, will be taking a year off. Athletic Director Sandy Barbour announced today on Steve Jones' ESPN radio show that the caravan will "take a hiatus" in the spring.

Barbour cited the state budget crisis as one of the reasons for canceling the event. Penn State's athletic money is separate from the university budget, but this seems to be a show of solidarity with the university to an extent. Barbour called it "prudent" to not hold the caravan. The budget stalemate has been an ongoing issue, with both sides of the aisle unable to come to an agreement on a budget for months.

The event, which often drew large crowds to major alumni centers on the east coast, had been winding down in terms of locations visited since its start in 2012. The initial event included Bill O'Brien, Pat Chambers, Russ Rose, Guy Gadowsky, Coquese Washington, and more, and toured Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Ohio, and the DMV area, all Penn State recruiting hotbeds. There is no word on whether the caravan will return in 2017, or if it's going to be on hiatus for a few years.

.@SandyB_PSUAD: "We are going to take a hiatus on the Caravan this spring. We need to be a good partner (with the University)."

— Jeff Nelson (@GoPSUJeff) March 2, 2016

Speaking with @ESPNRadio1450, @SandyB_PSUAD said there will not be a Coaches Caravan this year, citing the state budget situation

— Jeff Nelson (@GoPSUJeff) March 2, 2016

Even though no state dollars are used for the Coaches Caravan, #PennState Athletics felt it was prudent to not hold the event in 2016.

— Jeff Nelson (@GoPSUJeff) March 2, 2016