STATE COLLEGE, Pa. (WHTM) – Penn State will celebrate its 103rd Homecoming game on Saturday with UMass visiting Beaver Stadium for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff. The theme for this year’s Homecoming is “Illuminate the Lion Within”.
On the field
The Nittany Lions, who are 73-24-5 in Homecoming performances, will wear uniforms that nod to those from the past for the “Generations of Greatness” game.
The ensemble will include helmets with numbers, block uniform numbers, a white stripe on the sleeve, a blue stripe on the pants, gray facemasks, white cleats, gloves with the Lion Shrine on the palm, the Lion Shrine on the front of the jersey and the inside of the collar on the jerseys will say “Penn State 1959” in honor of the first Liberty Bowl game.
The parade
The Homecoming parade will take place on Friday, Oct. 13 starting at 6 p.m. The line will start in front of the IM Building and a map of the parade can be found here. The route of the parade will be closed to traffic starting at 5:30 p.m.
People can watch from the sidewalk and grass in areas that have been designated for observers. The parade will feature students, alumni and community members either walking or riding on floats.
Other pre-gameday events
The Alumni Ice Cream Social will take place on Friday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the Hintz Family Alumni Center where the Alumni Blue Band will be performing.
The Guard the Lion Shrine event will take place from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Friday where Penn State’s Army ROTC will be standing guard to keep watch over the Lion Shrine. There will be food, games, activities and live entertainment. Sue Paterno will also be speaking at the event.
Game day fun
Prior to kickoff, there are many activities set for Homecoming weekend.
There will be live music, food vendors, inflatables, a petting zoo with pony rides, a fan photo booth, a caricature artist, face painting and more.
The schedule of events is as follows:
- 8 a.m. – Parking lots open
- 9:30 a.m. – Block party begins with live music by Velveeta
- 11:30 a.m. – Live music by Trailer Park Ninjas
- 1 p.m. – One-way traffic pattern begins
- 1:20 p.m. – Team arrives and stadium gates open
- 2 p.m. – The Tailgate Show
- 2:30 p.m. – Blue Band March
- 3:20 p.m. – On-field pre-game show
- 3:30 p.m. – Kickoff
A map indicating where each activity will take place can be found here.
Tailgating
Tailgating at Penn State will be hectic as usual, especially since it is Homecoming weekend. Check out abc27’s guide on tailgating at Penn State to make sure you have everything you need and know where to go. Make sure you know where you are parking before you go.
