The Penn State White Out celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2024, having grown from a student bonding experience in 2004 to the branded spectacle it is today. Penn State football has nurtured its version of the White Out (Winnipeg hockey was first, of course) into one of college football's highest forms of entertainment, a show that extracts so much from a simple ask: Everyone wear white.
As an annual tradition, recruiting pitch and local economic driver, the Penn State White Out demands and delivers plenty. Which is why the program and its fans wait anxiously for the 2024 White Out date to be determined. Penn State coach James Franklin said recently that "I don't even completely know" when the White Out will be held. And Penn State has been tight-lipped about leaking the schedule, or even options.
In the meantime, there's plenty more to know about the White Out. Here's a primer.
When did the Penn State White Out begin?
In 2004, Penn State football had an image problem. The team went 3-9 the previous season, attendance was dimming, and fans were growing restless. So a marketing pro named Guido D'Elia suggested a group function at Beaver Stadium. "Everyone's got a white T-shirt," he said.
Penn State held its first White Out, limited to the student section, in 2004. It was successful, even though the Nittany Lions lost to Purdue, and the athletic department tried again in 2005. That was the kickstarter. Penn State beat No. 6 Ohio State 17-10 in front of another student-section White Out, though many fans joined in, and a tradition was born. Two years later, Penn State held the first full-stadium White Out against Notre Dame.
RELATED: How the Penn State White Out became the greatest show in college football
What is Penn State's record in the White Out?
The Nittany Lions have played 15 full-stadium White Out games dating to the first in 2007 against Notre Dame. Penn State is 9-6 in those games and has won four straight. That does not include the 2020 game against Ohio State, which was classified as the White Out, though fans were not allowed into Beaver Stadium.
Penn State also played four student-section White Out games from 2004-06 and in 2010. The Nittany Lions were 2-2 in those games, beating Ohio State (2005) and Michigan (2010) and losing to Purdue (2004) and Michigan (2006).
Michigan and Ohio State each have played in four full-stadium White Out games, taking turns from 2012-19. The Wolverines also played in two student-section White Out games, while Ohio State has played in one. Iowa is a two-time White Out guest.
Has a White Out ever started at noon?
Yes, once. In 2015, Penn State closed its regular-season home schedule against Michigan for the only noon White Out kickoff. The Nov. 21 date also was the latest White Out that Penn State has scheduled. Tough date, too, since the students were off for Thanksgiving break. Michigan won 28-16.
The question has become significant this year, since the Penn State-Ohio State game Nov. 2 would be a natural White Out date. However, since that game could kick at noon on FOX, Penn State has been reluctant to schedule it. So it's exploring other dates, including the Big Ten home-opener against Illinois (Sept. 28) or UCLA's visit the following week.
One White Out kicked off at 3:30 p.m.: the 2011 game against Alabama. The Crimson Tide won 27-11. The last seven White Out games have kicked off in prime time at 7:30 p.m. or later.
RELATED: Does the White Out have to be played at night?
Penn State White Out History
(Full-stadium White Out games only)
Date
Score
Kickoff Time
Sept. 8, 2007
Penn State 31, Notre Dame 10
6 p.m.
Sept. 27, 2008
Penn State 38, Illinois 24
8 p.m.
Sept. 26, 2009
Iowa 21, Penn State 10
8 p.m.
Sept. 10, 2011
Alabama 27, Penn State 11
3: 30 p.m.
Oct. 27, 2012
Ohio State 35, Penn State 23
5:30 p.m.
Oct. 12, 2013
Penn State 43, Michigan 40 (4OT)
5 p.m.
Oct. 25, 2014
Ohio State 31, Penn State 24 (2OT)
8 p.m.
Nov. 21, 2015
Michigan 28, Penn State 16
Noon
Oct. 22, 2016
Penn State 24, Ohio State 21
8 p.m.
Oct. 21, 2017
Penn State 42, Michigan 13
7:30 p.m.
Sept. 29, 2018
Ohio State 27, Penn State 26
7:30 p.m.
Oct. 19, 2019
Penn State 28, Michigan 21
7:30 p.m.
Sept. 18, 2021
Penn State 28, Auburn 20
7:30 p.m.
Oct. 22, 2022
Penn State 45, Minnesota 17
7:30 p.m.
Sept. 23, 2023
Penn State 31, Iowa 0
7:30 p.m.
More Penn State Football
James Franklin endorses Beaver Stadium renovation plan
Penn State positions Beaver Stadium as year-round entertainment venue
James Franklin finally gets to a tailgate
AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on Twitter @MarkWogenrich.
The White Out is the football program's premier home event, and as such, it frequently touts some of Penn State's biggest rivalries, non-conference opponents, and highly rated recruiting opportunities.
The Nittany Lions have played 15 full-stadium White Out games dating to the first in 2007 against Notre Dame. Penn State is 9-6 in those games and has won four straight. That does not include the 2020 game against Ohio State, which was classified as the White Out, though fans were not allowed into Beaver Stadium.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa - Saturday night's Penn State White Out showcased the greatest atmosphere in college football with 110,830 in attendance to watch the No. 7 Nittany Lions dominate No. 24/22 Iowa, 31-0.
Penn State is 8-6 in full-stadium White Out games, and 10-8 overall (including student section-only White Outs). The Nittany Lions have won their last three White Out games, but lost their only previous White Out matchup vs.Iowa, which came back in 2009.
Later that season, when Penn State hosted Ohio State, an acoustics team measured a sound pressure level in the stadium of 122 decibels. Or, as the researchers reported, "loud enough to cause physical pain on the eardrum."
Ethnicity: Penn State's student body is quite diverse, but still majorly composed of white students. According to the Fall 2023 enrollment data, around 62.4% of undergraduate students were White, 6.3% were Black, 9.5% were Hispanic/Latino, and 7.6% were Asian.
The school has had a number of other undefeated teams including 1909, 1911, 1912, 1920, 1921, 1947, 1968, 1969, 1973, and 1994, some of which have been awarded national championships by various selecting organizations. Penn State currently has a FBS bowl record of 31–20–2.
Penn State is ranked 56th among the best universities in the world out of 2,000 ranked, placing the University in the top 3% for the quality and research prowess of its faculty, by the Center for World University Rankings for 2024.
While "We Are ...Penn State" has been a common chant and spoken phrase among Penn Staters for decades, it became a physical permanent fixture in 2015 when the "We Are" Sculpture, the gift of Penn State's class of 2013, was installed on the University Park campus.
In 2008, when tickets were sold by grade, tickets allotted for junior students sold out in 90 seconds, and those for sophom*ores and freshmen sold out in under three minutes each. In 2011, the stadium capacity was reduced from 107,282 seats to 106,572 to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
On Jan. 30, 1960, the newly expanded athletic venue was renamed Beaver Stadium. Penn State's beloved stadium has gone through several renovations since 1960. With a seating capacity of 106,572, Beaver Stadium is the second largest stadium in the nation, only behind the University of Michigan's Michigan Stadium.
Typically, White Out date, time and opponent are announced by now. The selection helps Penn State athletics determine the remainder of its home game themes, such as a military appreciation day. It allows fans to plan accordingly to attend what may be the only prime time home game of the season.
Penn State has played a White Out game every season since 2004, except for the 2020 season due to the pandemic, and is 10-8 in White Out games. The Nittany Lions are currently on a three-game win streak for White Out games after defeating Michigan in 2019, Auburn in 2021, and Minnesota in 2022.
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Despite some windy conditions, an estimated 67,000 fans filled Beaver Stadium on April 13 for the 2024 Blue-White Game. The white team dominated the blue squad, 27-0, during the spring scrimmage.
After playing nine games over the course of the next three seasons, the uniforms underwent normal wear and tear, as washing them bleached the pink to white while the sun lightened the black to navy blue. Thus, the student athletic association changed the team's colors to blue and white in 1890.
The Mifflin Streak is probably one of Penn State's most unique annual traditions. Each year on the Sunday night before spring finals, students strip into their birthday suits and run down Mifflin Road as the name of tradition implies.
Introduction: My name is Pres. Lawanda Wiegand, I am a inquisitive, helpful, glamorous, cheerful, open, clever, innocent person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
