If you have ever been to a Penn State football game, it is undeniable that you have felt a pure sense of joy and community. There is nothing quite like the feeling of being surrounded by over 100,000 people in one place, watching the same game, and rooting for the same team. The Penn State football culture is a highlighting factor of our university and it is a major attraction for families, alumni, and college football fans everywhere.
(Giphy.com)
Each year, Penn State has one game so special that it brings out a massive crowd. In fact, it broke Penn State history this year with over 110,000 attendees in Beaver Stadium, all dressing in white waving their pom-poms. This white-out tradition started in 2004 when Penn State played Purdue University at home and the entire student section was draped in white. In 2007, the entire stadium was decked out in all-white to support the football team. And ever since, Penn State has embraced this new-found tradition and created an atmosphere incomparable to any other sporting event. As said by Kirk Herbstreit, an ESPN and ABC lead college football analyst who is a host for College Gameday and who just so happened to be a former Ohio State quarterback, “It’s the best atmosphere year in and year out. … And when they’re ranked in the top 10 and they bring in an opponent in the top 10, you’re not going to find a better, more intimidating, more involved fan base for 60 minutes than the White Out at State College.” (Centre Daily).
(Tenor.com)
Standing in the 9th row behind the field goal at the 2018 White Out game is an experience that will stick with me forever. It was a feeling of utter disbelief: disbelief about how many people surrounded me, disbelief about the hype, and absolute disbelief about the sense of family that we all had. Standing side by side my friends singing the alma mater or shaking our pompoms, it was the experience of a lifetime.
Despite this year’s upset (sore subject I know), Penn State fans always band together to support their school and their amazing Big 10 football team. This year’s game averaged a total of 9 million viewers, with a peak at almost 13 million viewers (PennLive), making it the most watched game of this season. There is something special and different about the football culture here in State College, everyone is in appreciation of this special tradition we have. James Franklin says, “The only thing I like more than Christmas is a ‘White Out’ football game. I’m jacked up like I am every year, because the environment is special. I think Beaver Stadium on a normal game day is a top-five atmosphere. A ‘White Out’ gameday is something you don’t really understand unless you can come experience it for yourself” (SBN Nation).
(Sports Illustrated)
Regardless of whatever anyone says, the football culture here is something that will live on forever. It is our unifying factor and the thing that drives Penn State to the top. It is the definition of happy in Happy Valley.
WORKS CITED
Johnson, Richard. “Penn State’s White Out Is One of the Best Atmospheres in Football.” SBNation.com, SBNation.com, 29 Sept. 2018, www.sbnation.com/college-football/2017/10/21/16491124/penn-state-white-out-games-history.
Moyer, Josh. “5 Things You Should Know about Penn State New No. 2 QB Sean Clifford.” Centredaily, Centre Daily Times, www.centredaily.com/sports/college/penn-state-university/psu-football/article217141765.html.
Pickel, Greg. “Penn State-Ohio State Averages over 9 Million Viewers, Making It Most Watched Game of 2018 Season.” PennLive.com, PennLive.com, 2 Oct. 2018, www.pennlive.com/pennstatefootball/index.ssf/2018/10/penn_state-ohio_state_averages.html.
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