Penn State football: looking at the white out and themed games

On Wednesday, June 1st, Penn State football announced which opposing teams would be receiving the white-out, stripe-out, and other themed games. Here is a breakdown of what games will be played and when.

107k Family Reunion — Sept. 10 — Ohio

On September 10th, Penn State football returns to Happy Valley for the home opener game against Ohio. While this game has no color theme, the game has been titled the “107k Family Reunion” game and will undoubtedly be one of the most tailgated games of the season.

Penn State vs. Ohio will kick off at noon (EST).

THON game — Sept. 24 — Central Michigan

Penn State football kicks off their THON game–named after the charity event “THON” done annually at Penn State–will be played on September 24th following the Nittany Lions’ matchup at Auburn.

If Penn State remains perfect throughout this stretch of games, there is a good chance of starting the season 5-0 again. The THON game does not have a start time, though it is safe to assume it will begin at noon or 3:30.

All-U day — Oct. 1 — Northwestern

October 1st will see a special day on the Penn State calendar brought to life during the Nittany Lions’ showdown with Northwestern. The game will feature an “All-U” theme, meaning students, banners, and more will be on the field and around the stadium to represent all of Penn State’s commonwealth campuses.

The game is meant to present the unity of the commonwealth campuses as well as the missions and values held throughout all 20 of Penn State’s unique campuses. Penn State vs Northwestern is yet to have an official time announced, though will likely be seen in the coming weeks.

White out/homecoming — Oct. 22 — Minnesota

On October 22nd, the most anticipated yearly event on the college football calendar will kick-off: the Penn State white out game. This annual display of school pride and dedication will be played against Minnesota for the first time, likely due to the Ohio State game being owned by FOX this year (FOX will probably broadcast OSU at PSU on Big Noon Kickoff).

The white out this year is unlike it has been in years past. This season’s white out will also double as the homecoming game and will see the “generations of greatness” uniforms used in the whiteout for the first time.

This combination of retro uniforms, whiteout, and homecoming weekend will spark national and local interest, especially since Penn State football and Minnesota football would be ranked, which is very possible considering preseason expectations. The white out will kick off at 7:30 PM (EST).

Stripe out — Oct. 29 — Ohio State

Due to likely scheduling conflicts with FOX, the white out game was pushed back to Minnesota, and the stripe-out moved to Ohio State. Though a start time has not been announced, Penn State football will likely face the Buckeyes at either noon or 3:30 PM (EST).

Penn State’s game against Ohio State will likely define the season for the Nittany Lions and will be the team’s most significant challenge of the season. If Penn State football can pull off the upset in State College, the program will be in pretty good shape moving forward.

Military appreciation — Nov. 12 — Maryland

November 12th will showcase Happy Valley’s appreciation for the US armed forces. Though there will likely be no uniform changes or as much hype, the annual Penn State Military Appreciation game will be played against Maryland–who has established a dislike among Penn State fans.
The game has no set kick-off time but will likely kick off in the noon-3:30 PM range.

Senior day — Nov. 26 — Michigan State

As usual, Penn State will end its regular season against Michigan State for senior night in Happy Valley this year. On November 26th, Penn State football’s senior class will take the field in Beaver Stadium one final time.

Though no one knows what the stakes will be or what either team’s record will look like just yet, the battle for the Land-Grant Trophy is always hard-fought and is sure to be a battle to the end. There is no set kick-off time for Michigan State at Penn State yet.