Athletics on campus changed in fall 2005 with a call for the return of varsity athletics, on hiatus since 1995. Penn State Harrisburg celebrated the renewal of competitions in the Penn State University Athletic Conference. In August 2006, the college also dedicated the new, eight-court Hoverter Tennis Complex that was made possible with the generous gift of the Lawrence L. and Julia Z. Hoverter Charitable Foundation.

The Class of 2005 chose to purchase a large Nittany Lion Shrine as their class gift. In October 2006, the same month that the college celebrated its 40th anniversary, the 2,000-pound Nittany Lion Shrine was placed in Vartan Plaza and permanently fixed onto a concrete slab designed by the student chapter, PSPEC, with the assistance of PSPEC faculty advisor, Dr. Joseph Cecere, and maintenance staff.