Rejoice, students. Penn State football is finally back!

Although the typical pageantry of gameday will be anything but normal in 2020, students on campus can still resort to creative measures to provide endless hours of entertainment prior to (and after) kickoff.

For the newbie freshmen and the veteran dorm-dwellers, we’ve complied a variety of options to optimize your unorthodox dorm tailgate.

Empty The Leftovers

Nothing screams “victory” like leftover Yallah Taco nachos coupled with age-old wings from Champs! With a gameday spread comparable to the one displayed above, you and the Nittany Lions can be sure to hit the hay soundly once the game ends.

For sides, the convenience markets across campus are surefire bets to have all of your favorite snacks. From Cheetos to Doritos to Oreos and beyond, folks can maximize their meal plans by creating a king-sized menu to feed their entire hallway. Have Mom and Dad send you some more meal points for good measure, OK?

Play Classic Tailgate Games

After an early lunch, what’s a better way to get the blood pumping than a competitive in-dorm game of Spikeball? Grab some buddies from across the hall for some friendly competition in the common areas! Of course, masks and social distancing are required, but who said competitive juices couldn’t flow from 6 feet apart?

Whether it be cornhole, KanJam, ladder toss, or a classic game of catch, tailgate games are a fun and safe way to ease the pregame jitters. If you’re playing inside, especially for the folks in non-renovated dorms, keep the noise to a minimum and watch the ceilings!

Bring Beaver Stadium To You

Produced by the Beaver Stadium music man himself, PJ Mullen’s Spotify playlist will be sure to get you straight out of bed for gameday! Queue certain songs for certain scenarios, such as Zombie Nation’s “Kernkraft 400” for the tunnel runout, “Circle of Life” for kickoff, “Click Click Boom” for commercial breaks, and even Arthea Franklin’s “Think” for replay review situations.

Don’t be afraid to blast Kanye West’s “Power” right at the break of dawn to wake your entire floor up. Trust me, your friends will appreciate your school spirit more than an extra hour or two of sleep.

Relive Classic Performances From The Blue Band

What’s more exhilarating than pregame performances from “The Pennsylvania State University Marching Bluuuuue Band,” in the words of the voice of Beaver Stadium, Dean DeVore?

On YouTube, students can find an array of pregame and halftime performances from a variety of seasons. Fans can reminisce by watching the drum major flip, the Nittany Lion pump up the student section, and the crowd sing along to the Alma Mater.

Despite the abnormality of 2020, this Saturday will give students, particularly freshmen, their first taste of a somewhat normal fall day in Happy Valley. Whether it be through taking a pregame lap around the perimeter of the stadium or safely recreating the normal joys of a Penn State football Saturday, there are plenty of reasons to smile about the start of the season.

So what do you say, dorm-dwellers? ARE YOU READY FOR PENN STATE FOOTBALL?!