The 1997 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University as a member of the Big Ten Conference during the 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by 32nd-year head coach Joe Paterno, the Nittany Lions compiled an overall record of 9âÂÂ3 with a mark of 6âÂÂ2 in conference play, placing in a three-way tie for second in the Big Ten. Penn State was invited to the Florida Citrus Bowl, where the Nittany Lions lost to Florida. The team played home games at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania.
Three Nittany Lions were drafted in the 1998 NFL draft.