Much to the excitement of many Penn State football fans, ESPN College GameDay announced it’s heading to Happy Valley this weekend for the second time in as many seasons. No. 9 Penn State will take on No. 4 Ohio State in a clash of undefeated teams under White Out conditions.

The GameDay crew will once again set up shop on Old Main Lawn after last season’s resounding success at the location.

With all of the excitement surrounding this upcoming Saturday, it’s important to understand how College GameDay works, what you can and can’t bring, what you should know about the show, and more.

When To Arrive

Arrival time is key if you’re interested in maximizing your own screen time and your chances of getting as close to die-hard Penn Stater Kirk Herbstreit as possible. “The Pit” (read: where all of the camera attention goes throughout the broadcast) will open at 6:30 a.m. Overnight camping isn’t allowed, but fans can start lining up at 5:30 a.m.

Taping will start at 9 a.m., and with the hype surrounding it all, you can expect Penn State fans to show up early. If you want a spot in the pit, it may be necessary to get to Old Main Lawn by 6:30 a.m. at the latest.

ESPN Rules To Be Aware Of

Here’s what you need to know about entering the pit:

• Fans entering the pit will be checked by a security wand (as Penn State students are now accustomed to)
• No bags, backpacks, or purses may be brought into the pit
  

Here’s the big one, folks:

• No offensive, vulgar, inappropriate, or solicitation signage will be allowed (this means no political, religious, .com, .org, or .net signage)
• No signs on a stick
• No pens, pencils, or dry erase boards

DO NOT, and I repeat, DO NOT attach your sign to a stick if you are hoping to get into the pit.

• No food or drinks
• Throwing of objects is prohibited

That last one is certainly on the obvious side, but there are some pretty important rules to keep in mind here.

What To Expect

Expect mayhem — the good and the bad. You can expect the best atmosphere in the country to be right here on campus all throughout the day Saturday. The White Out will be in full effect, and crazy fans will show off their Penn State spirit for all of the college football world to see. There may be some difficulties, however.

Navigating in and out of the pit, if that is where you decide to go, will not be easy. You could easily lose your spot if you need to, say, use the bathroom. And as previously mentioned, you will not be able to bring food or drink into the pit, so some preparation beforehand is certainly in order.

Fans will be packed into the pit like sardines. The general audience area is always significantly less crowded, and the front row of the general section always gets pretty good air time on TV.

If you really want your sign to be on TV, it may actually be best to try to head to the edges of the pit where the bleachers are set up, or even where the interview sets are set up, because the up-close shots make sign readability best.