Welcome back to Happy Valley, College GameDay.

For the fifth straight year, Kirk Herbstreit, Lee Corso, and the rest of the gang are coming to State College for a broadcast ahead of one of Penn State football’s games. In fact, it’s now the 10th time ever that Penn State is hosting GameDay.

Now that College GameDay’s presence in Happy Valley has pretty much become routine, it’s important to never take it for granted. The memories the show has brought us are ones we’ll remember for a long, long time.

Who doesn’t like waking up at a ridiculous hour to wait in line to get in the GameDay pit that opens hours later? As a junior, my only in-person GameDay experience to this point was in 2019 when the crew came for the Michigan White Out game.

Waking up at 2:30 a.m. to go wait in line in the freezing cold was pretty insane, but I would do it all over again if it meant experiencing that GameDay atmosphere again for the first time. I still remember someone going to the middle of the HUB Lawn every 30 minutes or so and just screaming, “HEY EVERYONE, IT’S [insert time], AND MICHIGAN STILL SUCKS!”

Despite the sleep deprivation and freezing temperatures, it was all worth it. Sleep is overrated anyway. You can always just take a nap after GameDay ends at noon. That’s definitely what I did, and I got myself right back up an hour or two later to go tailgate and enjoy the White Out. It truly is an incredible day.

That isn’t even including the actual GameDay show. Once you’re in the pit, it’s pure electricity. Between the GameDay signs, endless chants, and Corso’s iconic headgear pick, there’s plenty to look forward to.

The buzz GameDay brings to campus is unmatched, especially when you pair it with the White Out. Any time closet Penn State fan Kirk Herbstreit comes to town, it’s always a good time. He’s just cool as hell, man. Oh, did you know he LOVES the White Out, too?

I’ll say this — taking in the entire GameDay experience is something you must do at least once as a student. We’ve been lucky enough to have GameDay come almost every year. Take advantage of it, folks. Some schools never get the opportunity to host the iconic show once — let alone five years in a row.

See you on Old Main Lawn, folks.