How Did Penn State Football Team Become So Popular?

The Penn State Nittany Lions football team represents Pennsylvania State University in the college football league. They are currently a member of the Big Ten Conference, which is the oldest Division I collegiate athletic conference in the United States. Penn State play at the fantastic Beaver Stadium, which has a capacity of over 100,000 fans. Incredibly, that makes it the second largest stadium in the Western Hemisphere and the fourth largest in the world.

With such a tremendous venue, it is easy to see why football fans in Pennsylvania state want to cheer on their team. Beaver Stadium is regarded by many as being the toughest venue to play for visiting teams in college football and in September 2018, a crowd of 110,889 saw the game between Penn State and Ohio State, a number that eclipses even the National Football League.

So, what is it about the Penn State Football team that makes it so popular?

At the time of writing, Penn State are one of the most successful teams in the history of college football. However, ahead of the end of the 2020 season, you must go back to 1986 to find the last time Penn State won a national championship but it is the thought of being there when they win it again that helps drive the popularity of the team. With the ever increasing availability of mobile betting in PA, there has never been a better time to bet on the potential success of the Penn State football team. 

Perhaps it is the game day experience that drives so many fans to support and watch Penn State. For students, they have the opportunity to camp in Nittanyville outside Beaver Stadiumthe week before games. Doing so gives them the opportunity to get seats in the student section, which are sold on a first come, first served basis. There are several events that take place during the week including pep rallies and slam-dunk competitions. The Penn State coaches also pay a visit and this adds to the draw of being a fan of the team.

There are many traditions surrounding the Penn State football team, such as the Blue Band and the flip. Ever since drum major Jeff Robertson replaced the baton toss with a backflipin 1971, it has become tradition for the drum major to repeat the feat. The team entering the field with the head coach leading the way is a high adrenaline moment and one any football fan would love to be a part of in their lifetime. 

However, nothing attracts fans like success and Penn State have a strong history of winning football games and titles. The team has enjoyed 13 undefeated seasons, won four Big Ten Conference Championships, the most recent of which came in 2016, and made 48 appearances in college bowl games. Regular appearances in bowl games helps to drive up the fan base and Penn State have recently participated in the Rose Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Citrus Bowl, and Cotton Bowl Classic to name but a few.