CHICAGO — In his first Big Ten media day as Penn State’s football coach, Matt Campbell touted every intangible that gave Iowa State the Big 12’s most conference wins from 2017 through 2025. Fit. Character. Toughness. Alignment. Campbell crafted those words into a powerful message that he endorsed and embodied in propelling the Cyclones to unprecedented heights.Campbell’s team, rebranded through his use of black as a primary color, responded with 14 wins against ranked teams, including four against top-10 foes. Iowa State routinely hit the ceiling throughout Campbell’s 10-year tenure with eight of the program’s nine winning Big 12 seasons — ever.Relocated in Happy Valley, Campbell, 46, traded in black for navy blue, and both the colors and words did more than wash: They blended. He’s wagering that the same traits that took Iowa State from bottom feeders to Big 12 title contenders will elevate the Nittany Lions from good to great. And he’s doing it with a roster composed of 24 Iowa State transfers — 40 total — alongside dozens of Penn State holdovers.It’s not an easy task. There’s the potential for infighting or cliques if Campbell’s message doesn’t resonate. So, he was transparent with his former Cyclones, telling them “we aren’t at Iowa State anymore; we are at Penn State.” Campbell pushed all of the players to lean on one another and build camaraderie during every aspect of campus life from academics to nutrition to strength and conditioning, with his seniors leading the way.“You had an influx of young men that came over from Iowa State. You had two seniors that came in from UCLA, and then you had some great seniors that chose to stay at Penn State,” Campbell said. “So we paired those guys up in leadership groups and allowed them to draft out the team and really start the accountabilities out there.“‘Here’s how we’re going to ask you to do it and why, and then we’re going to hold you for a really high standard.’ … That was really big for us to be able to start to build player-driven leadership.”