How do I prepare for Penn State home football games

  

There are 7 days a year that I absolutely love. These are the seven home games that Penn State plays football in State College, PA. I have been going to these games since I was in college and it has just been a routine for me and my family for many years. I try not to miss a game if possible.

Going to a game in Happy Valley is special. The atmosphere is as good as it gets in college football. State College, PA is right in the center of the state of Pennsylvania, and when you get down in the city, it feels like everyone in the state arrives there with you. You definitely feel that way when you arrive at the parking lots and see motorhomes and tail ships as far as the eye can see.

My routine starts early in the morning as I dress myself and my family in PSU clothes. For me, I never participate in PSU football games without having my lucky Penn State jersey. Since I like to sit in or near the student section and they have a tradition of wearing white for the Penn State "White Out" effect, I have a white Penn State football jersey. My wife has a Penn State women's shirt and my kids have Penn State youth 7m.

However, the gear does not stop with jerseys as there is much more. If it's cold, we can also put on a Penn State sweatshirt. A fleece is perfect if it has a cold late in the season. White, blue or gray Penn State sweatshirts are nice too, I have them all in my wardrobe. My family and I also have PSU hats, t-shirts and jackets, so no matter what PSU equipment is needed for today's condition, we have it.

Then we fill the car with rear equipment. The most important things are the basics: chairs, barbecue, coolers, food and drinks. I have a PSU chair that I have had forever that I bring to any game and I use it extensively before and after games. We have approx. 2 hours drive to State College, so we usually take about 6-7 hours before kick-off.

We’ve had the same parking lot in State College for many years, and this is where we backtrack with our other PSU fans. We like to get there early by setting up the grill, tables, chairs and some games (we love playing corn hole). Luckily, we have other tailgaters with a portable satellite dish and TV so we can watch the entire afternoon of college football action (especially Big 10 games) while we prepare for the big game.

The most important part of tailgating is socializing with friends, but cooking and consuming food is also important. We fire up the grill early and keep it going all day. Usually several types of meat are thrown on, personally I like that any kind of red meat should go along with my adult beverage during tailgating. Do not forget to have plenty of ice cream and mixers.

Tailgating is fun, but I always remind everyone that the main reason we're there is for the game. I like being at Beaver Stadium 20 minutes before kick-off. This allows me to soak in all the pre-game festivities like the teams running out onto the pitch, Joe Paterno's entrance and the incredible sound of 100,000 fans screaming "Let's go .... Penn State".