There’s perhaps no greater sight than a full stadium on game day. Beaver Stadium provides a sense of home for students each weekend. It’s where many undoubtedly make their best memories at Penn State. Caite Lesko and Gerard Anthony’s favorite school tradition propelled them into the rest of their life together when Anthony proposed during Saturday’s homecoming game.

Lesko and Anthony, both 2014 Penn State graduates, decided to come up to support their favorite team once again for the game against Maryland. There was nothing out of the ordinary about this, as football games were always a favorite pastime for the couple. But Anthony had something else in mind for this game — he knew proposing at Beaver Stadium was the perfect way to take the next step in the relationship.

“Penn State is just such a big part of our lives that it made sense,” Anthony said.

Anthony also knew the only right way to propose was with family in the audience. Luckily, both families were able to attend the game that weekend. Although they were surrounded by a sea of fans, the couple’s loved ones were the most important part of the crowd.

“I thought it would be nice just having all of our family here,” he said. “The stadium idea tied in with having family there seemed like a great combination.”

For many, the ability to suppress nerves before a moment like this seems unfathomable. But Anthony was luckily able to remain relatively calm during most of the day, acting natural despite what he knew was coming.

“I was fine during the game,” Anthony said. “But then when the clouds began to break away, I knew it was time.”

And when the moment came, it was surreal. The crowd around the couple erupted in cheers as Lesko said yes to the question that would change her life forever. Time stopped during a moment both Lesko and Anthony will never forget.

“Everything was in slow motion, but also kind of fast too,” Lesko said. “I heard him say ‘Hey, there’s a lot of people here today.’ And then everything went silent right before it hit me what was actually happening.”

Thousands of Penn Staters saw the momentous proposal with their own eyes at the game last weekend. But how exactly did the relationship start? Lesko and Anthony first met when they were freshmen at Penn State Hazleton. The two students immediately hit it off and developed a strong friendship, spending a lot of time together with their mutual friends. Their bond grew even more when it came time for football each weekend.

“We’ve traveled a lot together for PSU games, and you learn a lot about each other when you travel together,” Lesko said.

When the pair came to the University Park campus as juniors, they made time for each other and maintained a close friendship despite being at a much larger campus. Anthony and Lesko had football to look forward to together every weekend. In fact, one of the couple’s favorite memories together is celebrating a victory against Michigan in 2013.

Although football did spark many of the couple’s favorite memories, their natural bond is what really makes Anthony and Lesko a great match. Wherever they are, anything they do is better simply because they’re together.

“Honestly, we were just best friends who had a ton of great memories together.”