Since 1998, the S-Zone has been a predominant part of Beaver Stadium. Created by students in the Junior/Senior section EC, the S-Zone represents the traditional school spirit felt by every member of the Penn State community.

The 800 students in this section are often seen wearing white and blue t shirts, forming a big blue S with an all white background. In the past, the S-Zone has been adapted for special occassions, including a black and pink S for Homecoming 2008 and 2009, a blue and white paw print for Homecoming 2010, and an orange and maroon VT to support Virginia Tech during the Blue & White game in the spring of 2007.

The decision to move the student section starting next year will affect the location of the S-Zone. Lion Ambassador Jon Hudak, the Committee Director in charge of the S-Zone, says there has been no decision on the new location yet, but ultimately the Athletics Department will have the final say.

Being a part of the S-Zone is a famous staple on every Penn State student’s bucket lists, and is easier than some may think. The tickets for these seats are the first tickets passed out by gates 23 and 24, the farthest gates to the right. Hudak suggests getting to those gates approximately 45 minutes to an hour before kickoff in order to have the best chance of sitting in the S-Zone. Hudak went on to say:

“The tradition of forming a giant S began in 1998 and mesh jerseys were actually handed out to students instead of t-shirts. These were collected at the end of the game. Sponsorship for t-shirts was obtained in 2004 and from then on the students who sat in the S-Zone were able to keep the shirts after each game.”

What originally started as a small section of students holding up cardblocks to form an image has now grown to become an integral part of the greatest student section in the nation. The Michigan State game on Saturday the 27th is your last chance this season to sit in the S-Zone, so I highly recommend coming back to campus early to see us show the Spartans who’s boss.