Final stand for Penn State's Paterno?

"I don't know whether it's hurt our recruiting," Paterno said. "Our problem is with numbers. [Because Penn State lost so few players this year,] we don't have that many scholarships available."

At home, Paterno's life, by all accounts, has changed little. He enjoys his wife's pasta and visits from his five children and 17 grandchildren. And he still spends considerable time in the easy chair in his den, revising the playbook or watching video of opponents.

"He's not going to talk about [leaving] a lot," said Wisniewski. "It will just come one day. Maybe that's next year, maybe it's two years, maybe it's three years. No one knows. I don't even think Joe knows."

Whenever it occurs, the transition to a post-Paterno era will be a difficult and perilous one for Penn State. Revenue generated by football pays for almost all of the athletic department's $96 million budget. Any large drop-off in on-field success could have a negative impact on the off-field donations that football inspires.

Recognizing that, university officials have begun phasing him out of marketing and promotional efforts.

Paterno, according to some estimates, has helped raise hundreds of millions for the university overall. And he and his wife have contributed millions of their own. His familiar, bespectacled countenance, unmarred by serious scandal, has been the face of Penn State for decades.

"The university has been actively shifting the brand from Paterno to Penn State," Poorman said. "Some of that is due to his age, but some of it is an astute shift in focus. Actually, by him staying so long, it's helped the school make the transition. They've been able to do it gradually."

Contact staff writer Frank Fitzpatrick

at 215-854-5068 or at Ffitzpatrick@phillynews.com.