With Penn State’s 35-16 win over Michigan State, another football season has come to a close. Sure, there is a bowl game still to go, but after this weekend, the tailgate lots will remain vacant until the Blue-White Game this spring.

The end of the season comes with lots of goodbyes, but there may be no harder farewell than parting ways with the cocktagons. They’ve been there for us all season, and now it’s time to say “so long for now.”

With a commanding presence, the cocktagons dominate the landscape of the tailgate lots. Their energy draws you in as if you can sense their magic.

Entering for the first time, a cocktagon newbie may think “oh, is this just a regular porta potty?” No, we can assure you, it’s not. It’s a place of relief, community, and memories.

Cocktagons are community builders. They bring together friends, family, and strangers alike. Peeing in solitude goes with everything that “Happy Valley Hospitality” stands for, which is why cocktagons are so special. Whether you cheer for Penn State or an opposing team, the cocktagon unites us all.

The floors of a cocktagon tell a story of tailgates past. You can smell the air and see the beer cans on the floor, knowing that memories were made here.

As you exit, you may elect to use the hand sanitizer. It’s probably empty, and even if it isn’t, you have to convince yourself that it will help kill even some of the germs a cocktagon provides.

You leave a different person. Deep in your soul, you know that something has inherently changed within you after that experience. As you gaze out at the view of Beaver Stadium, you feel a sense of bonding with those who have come before you.

As the sun sets on another season of games at Beaver Stadium, let us never forget the tailgates of weekends past and the leaks we took along the way.

So long, for now, cocktagons. We’ll be eagerly awaiting our reunion this spring.