A Beginner’s Guide to Penn State Football

While the Penn State football season officially started last weekend, this weekend is the real deal with the first home game of the season. And if you’re a freshman at Penn State, it’s your first PSU football home game ever as a student. Your first experience in the student section is amazing, overwhelming and slightly terrifying all at once. Here’s how to survive your first Penn State football game.

Wear Sunscreen

Sometimes applying sunscreen slips your mind when you’re not actually basking in the sun, but trust us, you’ll want to be wearing sunscreen on football Saturdays. From tailgating to the game itself to walking home afterwards, you’ll basically be out in the sun all day. You don’t want to end up being one of those girls with a paw print burned on your cheek the Monday after the game.

Wear Comfortable Shoes

Even if you already picked out your perfect game day outfit, swap the strappy sandals for a pair of comfy sneakers. Even converse will do you more good than flip flops. Not only will you be standing for at least three hours, there’s also a pretty good chance that people will be stepping and/or spilling things on your feet. Sneakers are your best bet here.

Drink Water

Pay the ridiculous price for a bottle of water in the stadium— it’s worth it. It’s a bummer that you can’t bring your own water in, but you definitely don’t want to be getting dehydrated, which is really easy in the summer sun. Make sure you’re drinking (water!) regularly throughout the entire day and opt for refilling in the stadium water fountains if you don’t want to keep buying bottles.

Eat Before The Game

Take advantage of all the amazing Penn State tailgates and fill up before you go into the stadium. Not only will the lines for food inside be super long, you’ll have to pay about $8 for a hotdog. If you do think you’re going to want food, bring your student ID with you— they take meal points!

Have Fun

While being comfortable and hydrated is super important, toss your worries aside and enjoy yourself! You only get to experience your first Penn State home game once; make sure to cherish it.