The 2025 THON Pep Rally returned on Saturday night, showcasing the Penn State varsity athletes and the routines they prepared for THON Weekend.

The Blue Band opened with the Blue Sapphire to start the 2025 Pep Rally as trumpets blared “Fight On, State.” The dancers were twirling around with the BJC singing along to the fight song. The Nittany Lions and Penn State Cheer team came out to join them and hype up the crowd. The team led the crowd with cheering FTK.

Landon Tengwall and Trace McSorley were introduced as the emcees for the rally. McSorley led the crowd in a “We Are” chant to fire up the building. Ryan Jones, the interim CEO of the Penn State Alumni Association, then came out with the trophy in his hands.

After his exit, the hosts then introduced President Neeli Bendapudi, who applauded the BJC for its efforts during THON Weekend. Penn State Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Pat Kraft was then brought to the stage and hinted at McSorley being brought onto the football staff. Kraft applauded everyone’s efforts in dancing and raising money for pediatric cancer.

Ten athletic teams competed in the Pep Rally, starting off with men’s gymnastics. “Sweet Escape” by Gwen Stefani opened its routine with a reference to Stephen Nedoroscik and Rylee Arnold in “Dancing With The Stars.” Of course, the routine was packed with tricks and flips.

Women’s soccer was up next and started its routine with EDM music to transition to “Unwritten,” which got the crowd excited. The players finished their routine with intricate dance moves and smiles across their faces. After their routine, Olympian Sam Coffey left a message to the dancers and reflected on her love for Penn State. Coffey said THON was more than just a weekend and was a lifestyle for Penn Staters.

Men’s golf was brought to the stage for the third routine of the night. “Level Up” and “Replay,” along with partner lifts, leveled up their routine. The golfers taught the crowd how to Dougie, which got the stands dancing with them.

Women’s lacrosse was next up on the stage. “Dancing through Life” from the hit movie “Wicked” brought the crowd to life. The players’ outfits matched the theme of “Wicked” perfectly with pink lettering on their shirts and green bows on their heads.

“Livin’ on a Prayer” and the Nittany Lion broke up the performances until the hosts came back out to announce men’s soccer as the next team up. The soccer players came out with red and yellow hoodies to reference the hit movie, “Deadpool and Wolverine.” Their routine was to a remix of “Bye Bye Bye.” At the end of the routine, they unzipped their hoodies to unveil the letters FTK.

Dancer relations captains to the stage to lead the crowd in the Line Dance during the Pep Rally. It was electric.

Field hockey was brought out to the stage to start their routine with a remix of High School Musical songs. They then transitioned to the “Hoe Down Throwdown” from Hannah Montanna. One player even did the worm on the stage.

Football was up next to perform. “Pump Up the Jam” pumped the crowd up, along with flips and a dance breakdown at the top of the stage. The routine ended with the Nittany Lion roar and a special message from Jordan Stout, a former Penn State punter.

Women’s hockey came to the stage dressed in black sweatsuits. “Can’t Touch This” and “Cupid Shuffle” had the crowd dancing along. Lifts and flips brought the energy to finish the routine.

Men’s lacrosse came out in wife beaters to “Crazy in Love” by Beyonce. Intricate formations and dance breaks had the crowd impressed. However, not all flips were executed properly.

The hosts brought out Caroline Jurevicius, a junior women’s volleyball player, to introduce head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley. She praised the university and brought out her team to dance on the stage. The team danced to “Thunderstruck” by AC/DC, inspired by the Dallas Cowboy cheerleaders. Women’s volleyball even pulled out a kick-line.

The Lionettes were introduced, and with that came their choreography. The team ended with a kick-line and in the splits, which caused the crowd to erupt in cheers.

Women’s volleyball and men’s golf were the two finalists. While the judges were choosing their winner, Saquon Barkley came onto the jumbotron with a special message for the crowd.

The judges announced women’s volleyball won the Pep Rally, adding to a banner year for the team.