STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — Many in this leafy, vibrant college town nicknamed "Happy Valley" worry the temporary evisceration of Penn State's football program might inflict similar damage on a community that, for years, thrived as fans flocked to home games at the massive football stadium and a far-flung alumni base stayed connected by loyalty — and by checkbook.

Some business operators saw the same silver lining that many survivors do after a near-death accident: They had feared a complete shutdown of Penn State's football program by the NCAA.

Yet they also know Penn State, and the hotels, eateries and university-themed apparel shops that cluster around campus, face rough times ahead.