Penn State football and NFL legend LaVar Arrington is making his mark at Beaver Stadium again by collaborating with Champs Downtown to host “ST1X C1TY Tailgate” every home game, hoping to create an enjoyable, unique experience for all fans.

For the rest of the 2024 Penn State football season, Arrington, along with Champs management, will be hosting their tailgate in the garden right in front of Medlar Field at Lubrano Park three hours before kickoff and two hours after the game. Champs servers and bartenders, DJ Rictor, some Champs signature drinks and appetizers, and Jawns On Fire will be featured at every tailgate.

Back in 1997, Arrington played for the Nittany Lions under Joe Paterno, eventually becoming the first sophomore to be named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year in 1998. One year later, he received the Butkus Award and the Bednarik Award in 1999 for being the nation’s top linebacker and defensive player, respectively. Meanwhile, he also achieved two first-team All-American, and first-team All-Big Ten honors.

The linebacker led Penn State to three bowl games and totaled 173 tackles, 39 for loss, 19 sacks, and three interceptions during his college football days. Coining his infamous “LaVar Leap,” ultimately led to building Penn State’s reputation as “Linebacker U.”

After his junior year, Arrington declared for the NFL Draft and was selected No. 2 overall by Washington. After playing six consecutive seasons in D.C., with three Pro Bowl selections, Arrington signed a seven-year contract with the New York Giants. Due to a season-ending injury, Arrington’s NFL career came to an early close in 2006, before working as a sports broadcaster and analyst and then becoming more involved in the Penn State community.

On top of hosting “ST1X C1TY Tailgate,” Arrington has taken initiatives across campus and beyond with Disrupt U PSU, his company and movement that allows former and current college athletes to connect and grow as a community. From sports news to podcasts to embracing college culture, the media company showcases the best of college athletics, while providing mentorship and education.

Within the company, Arrington even co-hosts a podcast show called “Quite Franklin” with James Franklin, where the duo chats about “the games, the plays, the mindset, and the emotions of being on the field.”

As a former student-athlete himself, Arrington continuously seeks to advocate for students competing at the collegiate level, helping them navigate the world of NIL deals, brand partnerships, and balancing academics, to name a few. The tailgate is just one of many initiatives that fall under the Disrupt U PSU umbrella.

Leon Duncan, Arrington’s business development and public relations partner, has been working closely with Champs owner and Penn State Class of 2004 alum Dante Lucchesi to soft launch the tailgating festivities they hope will eventually grow into the tailgating event of the year.

“[Champs] is such a cornerstone of the university and everybody knows who they are,” Duncan said. “We want to align with those things that are unique to Penn State and the Penn State experience… Fortunately, Dante, the owner of Champs gets it, and I think he is equally as excited as we are about the possibilities here and ways we can leverage our efforts to lift each other up”

Through their partnership, Duncan and Lucchesi, along with Arrington, want to provide Penn State fans with “good music, good drinks, and good food,” curating an experience that hasn’t existed.

With two home games already under their belts, the team plans to learn and grow with each tailgate throughout the season to see where they can improve and how they can enhance the tailgating experience.

“We always talk about constant, small growth here [at Champs],” Lucchesi said “So, we want to try to get 1% better every day. And, we want every tailgate to be better and enhance the experience… It’s going to be a work in progress, but I’m very confident that we’re going to get to where we need to be
relatively quickly.”

Given that this tailgate is Arrington’s brain-child, he will be at every tailgate, energizing and interacting with fans ahead of kickoff. The goal is to provide the ultimate pregame destination for students, alumni, and every Penn State fan.

“[LaVar] is very hands-on,” Duncan shared. “He’s very excited about this initiative, and he will be at every tailgate every day. And, in more cases than not, probably starting game three, we will have special guests there, as well, like other former players, student-athletes, you name it.”

As an alumnus, Arrington wants to ensure that not only current Penn State students have the opportunity to get exposed to the new tailgating festivities, but alumni, too. Whether it’s alumni who are visiting their children or just popping out to a game to show off their Penn State pride, Arrington, his team, and Champs want to give everyone the chance to create more memories outside Beaver Stadium.

“What we’re trying to do is enhance the experience up at the tailgates,” Lucchesi said. “It allows our brand to have a presence up next to the stadium, as well… We’re just really excited, being able to bring that experience to guests, to fans.”

“We got two huge screens there where you can watch pregame coverage and come kick your feet up,” Duncan said. “Follow other games after our game there, let the traffic die down, and then take your time getting home safely.”

Arrington and Champs have been in collaboration for a while, giving them even more opportunity to bring something fresh and exciting to the tailgate lots in Happy Valley. These two significant keystones at Penn State agree that it makes sense to combine forces and try to dominate the tailgating industry.

“We’ve always had a relationship with LaVar and his team, and it just seemed to make sense when we heard about what they were doing,” Lucchesi shared. “It just made sense for us to try to be a part of it and try to support it at the end of the day with the tailgate of supporting NIL, which supports Athletics, which supports the university, which supports the economy here. So it makes sense for us to get involved with it.”

Looking to the 2024 season, all parties involved in building the tailgate are anticipating that ST1X C1TY will come together with time, as they start creating rhythm. Currently, the team is looking into expanding into away games, as well, to provide Penn State supporters and travelers with a spot to hang out with like-minded fans in unfamiliar territory.

“We really don’t expect to be running full speed until game three, which is against Illinois,” Duncan said. “We hope this kind of snowballs into a monster that can’t be stopped. And, if we do it the right way, I think it will… We’re prepared to leverage all that energy and excitement.”

“We have been talking about doing an away game pop-up experience at a very huge, out-of-market location,” Lucchesi said. “That opportunity is something that we want to make an exclusive experience available to our season ticket holders, as well. So if you’re going to that game and you’re already supporting us here, look out for us. We’re [planning] to do something special for you there as well.”

If all goes according to plan, fans can expect to see and join “ST1X C1TY Tailgate” at future games after the regular season. The team is eager to amp up the tailgate lots while bringing new experiences and opportunities to the table.

Tickets for the tailgate are $200 per game, or $150 each with the season pass ($1,050 total), which grants access to the gated venue with an all-you-can-eat buffet, entertainment, and two drink tickets.

“What we want to do is provide a very fun, turn-key experience and pregame destination for our customers,” Duncan said. “Those are the moments you just can’t miss the opportunity [and are] so special.”