Folks piled into the stands to White Out the Bryce Jordan Center for THON 2026’s pep rally on Saturday night.

The Blue Band, along with the Blue Sapphire, kicked off the pre-show festivities at 8 p.m. sharp.

Then came the first-ever Pep Rally Putt-Putt game, with contestants aiming to push a golf ball through a small hole to win $1,000 for a THON org of their choice.

The pre-show continued as Penn State cheerleaders, the Nittany Lion, and the Blue Sapphire took the stage to hype up the crowd with a “We Are! Penn State!” chant, as well as other traditional shouts.

Then the Nittany Lion showed off his strength, cranking out 46 one-armed push-ups in support of dancers who are standing for 46 hours straight. The spirit leaders closed out the pre-show by remixing the iconic “P-S-U, Let’s go PSU!” chant to “F-T-K, Let’s go FTK!”

As the lights dimmed, a THON hype video played on all the BJC screens, setting the tone for an energetic pep rally. Then, Penn State football alumni, Juwan Johnson, and his wife, Chanen, a social media influencer, were announced as the Emcees for the night. Johnson then brought out his former quarterback and Penn State legend, Trace McSorley, who was met with a roar from the crowd.

“What we do here is unmatched across the country,” said McSorley.

The introductions continued, as Penn State football’s new head coach, Matt Campbell, took the stage to deliver words of inspiration. Campbell commended the impact of those in the BJC crowd, explaining, “The most powerful thing you can do is make a difference in the life of others, and you certainly are doing that here tonight.”

After the pep rally, judges were introduced, and the dance competition began. Of Penn State’s programs, men’s gymnastics, field hockey, women’s soccer, men’s soccer, football, dance, cheer, women’s ice hockey, and women’s volleyball were the night’s participating teams.

First up was 2025’s winner, women’s volleyball, who delivered a group choreography to “Lip Gloss” by Lil Mama.

In between acts throughout the night, men’s volleyball, women’s tennis, women’s golf, softball, women’s fencing, the Lady Lions, and both men’s and women’s lacrosse made cameos on the Jumbotron due to road game travel.

Second up was the men’s soccer team, who lit up the stage in their navy jerseys to a mashup of “Rock That Body” by the Black Eyed Peas and “Pink Pony Club” by Chappell Roan.

Next came women’s field hockey, dancing to “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga. You would have thought the Penn State cheer team was performing by the way human towers were being formed!

Another break came in the form of a line dance before the Johnsons returned to the stage to announce a DonorDrive competition in which the winner will receive a $5,000 donation.

Women’s soccer took the stage in black shades to Usher’s “Scream,” followed by cameos from notable Penn State alumnae Katie Feenie and Tyler Warren on the big screen, which drew loud cheers.

Then came the moment everyone was waiting for: Penn State football’s performance. Over a dozen of the program’s newest faces broke out into the swag surf, among many other popular dances. It was chaotic, but it was fun.

The surprise cameos continued with Drew Allar checking in on the BJC from his home.

Women’s ice hockey took the stage with signs that read “We Are!” and “Record Breakers.” Its newest Olympic gold medalist, Tessa Janecke, sent in a video from Milano, Italy.

Next, men’s gymnastics took the stage by storm, performing to a mashup of “Blinding Lights” by the Weeknd, “Crazy In Love” by Beyonce, and “Lay All Your Love On Me” by ABBA. The team flashed just about every flip imaginable, which was met with a barrage of cheers.

Of course, Olympic medalist Stephen Nedoroscik made an electric cameo, and trust, he knows a thing or two about dancing. After men’s gymnastics delivered what looked like the winning act, The Lionettes showed up ready to change that, but the group delivered a surprisingly short performance.

Johnson announced the finalists: men’s soccer and men’s gymnastics.

Both teams repeated their original acts, but men’s gymnastics’ jaw-dropping acrobatics and homage to Beyoncé created a tough act to beat.

“Kernkraft 4000” rang out in the BJC to keep the energy up as judges deliberated, but before a winner was announced, THON representatives announced that the 2026 pep rally had reached 100% of its goal.

To end the pep rally, the Nittany Lion brought out the winner’s trophy, which was presented to men’s soccer in a shocking upset.

The Penn State Alma Mater played softly in the closing moments, capping off a night to remember.