To the outside world, it’s easy to believe that football reigns supreme at Penn State. While this isn’t an inaccurate observation — especially considering Nittanyville is the only two-time winner of the Live Mas Student Section this year — there are plenty of exciting teams to support in Happy Valley during the winter.

Every sport has its own student section, and those are all full of wild fans and crazy chants. Many students, however, aren’t even aware of the fact that these student sections even exist. So, we’re here to break down the winter sports student sections.

Legion Of Blue

Penn State men’s basketball has been, well, subpar in recent years, but that doesn’t stop the Legion of Blue from filling the Bryce Jordan Center’s front rows at every home game. The on-court product might not be there yet, but there are tons of perks to watching games in this student section.

The seats are close to the court, the BJC serves the superior curly fries, and on top of all that, the team’s marketing department gives away a free TV at every game.

While the free TV is what most people think of when it comes to Penn State basketball’s in-game experience, everyone in the student sections truly loves the team. The fans’ passion shows even when the BJC is half-full for a non-conference game against a cupcake opponent. With increasing expectations this season, watching games in this student section could be a really enjoyable time.

The Roar Zone

Penn State hockey has quietly become one of the most successful athletic programs in Happy Hockey Valley since bursting onto the Division-I scene in 2012. With that success comes the fun, rowdy atmosphere of the Roar Zone. Known for its taunts at visiting goalies and loud cheers, this student section has definitely made an impact on each home game.

Hockey has gotten increasingly popular as the team has gotten better. Despite the fact that season tickets are second-most expensive behind football tickets, seats in the Roar Zone are readily available for non-season ticket holders to buy. This allows for all students to have a chance to see a game and experience what Hockey Valley is all about.

The student section was designed to be as steep as safety codes allow, which creates an intimidating atmosphere for opposing netminders and a towering wall of support for senior goalie Peyton Jones during the middle period of home games.

The RECkoning

As you all know, Penn State is a wrestling school. Cael Sanderson’s program is a dynasty that no other school can match, and it’s only fitting that they have one of the top student sections in the country. Rec Hall was ranked as the second-best college wrestling venue in the country, and that’s due largely the case due to the atmosphere created by the student section.

Penn State wrestling shut out Navy in its first match of the season. If that’s any indication of how the upcoming season will play out, there could be another national championship trophy coming to Happy Valley. Even if you know nothing about wrestling, being part of the atmosphere and experience at Rec Hall is something every Penn State student should do before they graduate. Better yet, be sure to stop by a Caelgate before home duals to meet some of the passionate fans and managers who can explain the basic rules to you.