Players at Big Ten Media Days voted on which arena in the conference has the best atmosphere. Big Ten Network released the results on Wednesday, Sept. 17 on social media, and revealed the five arenas that received votes.
The blue and white showed up big enough to rally 11 votes for Penn State's Rec Hall. It was just one vote shy of the first-place spot. Wisconsin's Field House was crowned the No. 1 arena with the best atmosphere in the Big Ten. The results of the voting here:
1. Field House (Wisconsin) - 12 votes
2. Rec Hall (Penn State) - 11 votes
3. Holloway Gymnasium (Purdue) - 6 votes
4. John Cook Arena (Nebraska) - 5 votes
5. Covelli Center (Ohio State) - 2 votes
In 2024, the 6,502-capacity Rec Hall saw the Nittany Lions fight to clinch part of the Big Ten Championship title in the regular season. They defeated the No. 2 Nebraska team at the time in a 3-1 set.
During the 2024 NCAA Women's Volleyball Championship, Penn State fans watched their team defeat four teams to make it to the Final Four. In the first and second rounds, the Nittany Lions swept Delaware State and beat North Carolina 3-1. They also hosted the regional rounds against No. 24 Marquette and No. 6 Creighton. Penn State beat the Golden Eagles 3-1 in the regional semifinals and Bluejays 3-2 in the regional finals.
Now looking ahead into the 2025 season, the blue and white already showed up big for the home opener. Though No. 4 Kentucky swept the Nittany Lions on Sept. 5, the energy in the arena never wavered. All the way to the 25-23 third set win taken by the Wildcats, Penn State fans celebrated every ace, dig, attack, and kill until the last point.
The Nittany Lions beat unranked New Hampshire and Bucknell to put them back over .500, two wins Rec Hall saw them claim. Penn State will seek to continue its two-game win streak starting Wednesday night. First serve at Rec Hall is slated for 7 p.m. ET against No. 5 Pittsburgh. The blue and white will need to show up big to support the Nittany Lions who dropped down to No. 13 in the AVCA rankings. The Panthers hold a 7-2 record. The in-state match can be watched on Big Ten Network.