This Saturday marks PSU’s first football game since being ranked the #2 college football team in the country. At 7:30pm, with all of Beaver Stadium in a White Out, PSU kicks off against Michigan. And right when it seems impossible that this weekend can get any more exciting—spoiler alert: it does. ESPN’s College GameDay is coming back to University Park for the first time since 2009, setting up shop right on Old Main Lawn. While VALLEY is sure everyone here at PSU has already mastered the art of the White Out, here’s everything you need to know to make the most of College GameDay.
Pause: what is College GameDay?
For those who don’t know, we’re glad you asked. College GameDay is a pre-game ESPN coverage, that follows the biggest college football teams in the country, covering the best games at different universities each Saturday morning. The show features analyses of the opposing teams and their players, and each host’s expectations of the game to come. And here’s the best part: everything is broadcast by ESPN live on national television. This means that every student piled into the the crowd of fans with all the camera’s attention, aka the “Pit,” has a chance for their handmade sign to be seen nationwide.
How do you get a spot in the Pit?
Double check your alarms and get a good night’s sleep on Friday, because while the show starts taping at 9 a.m., the line to get into the taping area starts at 4 a.m.,with access to the pit opening up at 6:30 a.m. Penn State fans are about as diehard as fans can get, and since camping out overnight is not allowed, VALLEY recommends that those looking to secure a spot in the pit grab an oversized coffee and make it to Old Main as bright and early as possible. If you are part of the lucky group that makes it on ESPN, keep in mind that the crowd will be packed and moving in and out of the masses will be nearly impossible. So, on second thought, save yourself a struggle to the bathroom and scratch that large coffee.
Rules to Remember
Before even considering standing in line, make sure that you are familiar with these ESPN rules, that must be followed in order to make it into the pit:
- No bags, backpacks, etc. are allowed in the pit
- No food or drinks
- No throwing of any objects
And about those signs…
Any PSU student has most likely seen many of the beautifully worded Michigan-bashing signs that have already popped up around campus, and if you are planning on bringing your own sign into the pit on Saturday morning, be sure to double check that it follows these two guidelines:
- No offensive, vulgar, inappropriate, or solicitation signage will be allowed (nothing political, nothing religious, no websites)
- No signs on sticks (NO ONE with any signs on sticks will be allowed into the pit!)
The best advice VALLEY can give for game day? Get excited. This weekend the crowds will be buzzing, the hype will be off the charts, and Old Main lawn will be filled to the very top with PSU fans. Come Saturday morning, campus will be in full on game day mode, and now with all of the above, navigating College GameDay will be a breeze. VALLEY hopes that every student has a fun and safe White Out weekend, and as always, #WeAre!
