School: Pennsylvania State University
Team: Penn State Nittany Lions
Location: State College, PA
Conference: Big 10
Stadium: Beaver Stadium (Capacity: 106,572)
If the “Glory of Old State” was represented in a single location, Beaver Stadium would surely be it. Of all the stadiums you visit, this will likely rival as one of the loudest. The stadium begins to shake when the first note of “Zombie Nation” plays as the players enter the field. The famed student section stretches from mid-field into the end zone and initiates the deafening “WE ARE” chants. And of course there are the white-outs, started back in 2004, which have developed into one of the great traditions in college football today.
The Weekend
Travel: State College, nicknamed Happy Valley, is located in the dead center of the state, virtually equidistant (2.5 to 3hrs) from both Philadelphia and Pittsburgh. Depending upon your method of travel, you should consider renting an RV. The collective RV lots in State College make up the biggest RV tailgate in the country on game day. It’s an experience unique to Penn State and I can say that one of my best trips to Happy Valley was in an RV.
Lodging: As I said, if you can, rent an RV – it is an unforgettable experience. However, if you choose to stay in a hotel, you have two good options. You can stay downtown in State College near all the action or you can stay near the stadium. The Penn Stater is a newer hotel right Beaver Stadium (10 minutes from downtown) and has everything you need – it doubles as a conference center (restaurant, bar, etc. on site). If you prefer to be downtown, my favorite spot is the Graduate State College (formerly the Atherton Hotel). Note that the stadium is about a half hour walk from downtown – straight across campus.
Local Food: Federal Taphouse in downtown State College is a perfect place for food and drink. A few minute walk from the edge of campus and right near all the hotels downtown. An east-coast gastropub at its best.
Local Drink: Primanti Bros. is one of the better sports bars in town. Big space, tons of TVs and lots of beers on tap. Anyone from Pittsburgh will be familiar with this one.
The Tailgate
Beaver Stadium is about a 30 minute walk from University Drive in downtown State College. Most of the tailgating goes on around the stadium in the RV lots and fields that wrap around stadium, as well as at the vast number of frat houses off campus. I suggest having an RV spot to tailgate around, but if you don’t you can create a make-shift tailgate by a field around the stadium – the area is enormous and plenty of room to post up before the game.
Unique Tradition
While the White Out has certainly caught national attention over the last decade-plus, the best tradition during a Penn State game is the “We Are” chant. Plenty of teams try to use the phrase, but Penn State is the signature. The student section yells “We Are” and the rest of the stadium responds “Penn State”. If you’re an opposing team (or fan), down a couple late in the fourth quarter, believe it is coming for you.
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