What a Show
From the field to the stands to the skies above, nothing in college football matches the game day atmosphere of Beaver Stadium.
Plenty of factors made Auburn’s visit to Beaver Stadium last September a memorable one, not least the rarity of an SEC team heading north for an early-season matchup and a tight contest in which the Nittany Lion defense held off the Tigers late to secure the win. But much of what made it special for the nearly 110,000 people in attendance (minus the 5,000 or so Auburn fans, although even they seemed pretty impressed) applies to nearly every Penn State home game. It helped that conditions for Auburn’s visit were just about perfect—anyone in the stands that night remembers that sunset—but when it comes to Beaver Stadium game days, some things are constant. The Nittany Lion at midfield. The Blue Band in formation. The team emerging from the tunnel. The roar and motion of the crowd. And of course, once a year, a White Out, glowing bright under the evening sky.
But one more thing made that game particularly memorable. Last fall, after the pandemic-shortened 2020 season was played without fans in attendance, the stadium pulsed with an extra year’s worth of pent-up energy. Everyone realized just how much they’d missed it. In that spirit, and with another season upon us, we celebrate the sights, sounds, and spectacle that make Beaver Stadium game days unlike anything else.