Athletics IT Knowledge Base

Welcome to the Athletics IT Knowledge Base. This website holds all the answers to the most commonly asked questions that Athletics employees have. Choose the category on the left to narrow down the topic or choose a Quick Topic below. You may also search for any term above.

Windows 10 to Windows 11 Upgrades Beginning

What is happening?
Penn State IT Security is requiring all eligible PCs be upgraded to Windows 11 by the end of year.

Why is this happening?
Windows 10 will reach the end of support this fall. At this point software and security updates or fixes will no longer be provided.

More information can be found here.

 

Athletics WiFi Migration for Windows PCs & Macs Beginning

What is happening?
As mentioned in the prior email notification on March 11, 2025, a new wireless network “Athletics Staff” became visible in all Athletics facilities in preparation for security changes that will be applied to all Athletics-issued devices.

Why is this happening?
The use of a username & password combination to connect to wireless networks is no longer considered the most secure method of authentication for roaming devices. Athletics-issued devices will be given a security certificate before the devices are deployed to staff and this certificate will be used to connect to the new “Athletics Staff” wireless network automatically.

What do I need to do?
As an end user, you do not need to do anything. Windows PCs have automatically been updated to join using the new method. Macs will require an Athletics IT representative to install the necessary configurations manually. We will be reaching out to each department to make appointments.

What changes might I see?
Both the “Athletics” network and the “Athletics Staff” network will both be available for a period of time. Your PC should be able to connect to either of these networks in case one of them is not available in your location.

Once all departments are migrated to the new “Athletics Staff” network, the old “Athletics” network will be disabled.

Side Notes
This new security standard will only affect the “Athletics Staff” network. Access to other networks such as “ICA Guest” and “PSU Fan” will not change.

 

Penn State Telephone Transition

Intercollegiate Athletics is transitioning away from physical Cisco office phones and moving to Microsoft Teams for telephone services. This help reduce costs for our department and the University as a whole.

We will be contacting each department to determine individual/team needs. There will be an option to maintain a physical desk phone, if needed, but with the advantage of department issued cell phones for many individuals, Teams will suffice.

Our department will begin to schedule transitions in the next few weeks and would like to have this completed by the end of July.

For more information, please refer to this PDF Announcement: Telephony Transformation_Final_Revised

 

International Travel

If you plan on traveling outside of the United States, please fill out the following form PRIOR TO LEAVING. This will ensure that your international data plan covers your destination countries.

If you are planning on taking a cruise that enters international waters, filling out this form is mandatory.