Thousands of folks, especially freshmen, will be attending a Penn State football game for the first time when the Nittany Lions line up against Marshall on September 5.

As a staff filled with extensive college football fandom experience, we decided to compile a list of tips and tricks for the first-timers.

From staying hydrated to taking a moment to enjoy the atmosphere, here is some of our best advice to make Saturday the best gameday possible!

Alex Wilczynski

Get to the stadium early and enjoy the tailgates.

One of the best parts of Penn State football is the legendary tailgates. It’s all about the fun beforehand, spending time with family and friends, eating good food, and playing cornhole before the excitement of watching the game begins.

Make sure to get there a few hours early to just walk around and enjoy the atmosphere before kickoff. There’s nothing better than getting hyped with thousands of other fans before heading into the stadium!

Hannah Guidotti

Make sure you and your friends coordinate well on which section you are planning to meet in! Ushers are pretty strict about security, and the wristband you get when you enter corresponds to your section.

Also, SUNSCREEN! Unless you want to show up to class with sun poisoning, wear sunscreen. It’s easy to forget, but you will regret not wearing it.

Ella Cofone

You definitely don’t need a clear bag; bring cash, chapstick or lip gloss, sunglasses, and anything else you need in your POCKETS. If you have the overalls, you have so many pockets. I promise no one needs a clear bag.

Not only does it mean you won’t have to keep track of it the entire game, but it also means you won’t have to put down $30 on a bag you’ll use once.

Peter Williams

Gameday tip 1: Establish a meeting location before separating!

At my first Penn State football game, I didn’t expect cell reception to be this bad. In and around the stadium, you can barely send text messages, let alone photos.

For last year’s White Out, this even started the day before the game! If you lose someone, be sure you have a place to meet because there’s a good chance your texts may not deliver due to the extreme volume of cell usage in the area on gameday.

Gameday tip 2: Win or lose, stay after the game to recite the Alma Mater.

Obviously, football is the focus, but at the end of the day, we’re a school, and the players are students. Our 125-year-old Alma Mater is sung after every game, and staying to sing it makes you feel a sense of school spirit like no other.

It brings everyone in Beaver Stadium together and reinforces the sense of community that makes the student section so special. While most students don’t have it memorized yet, if you stay an extra five minutes to sing the song with the team after each game, you’ll know it by the end of the season.

Michael Zeno

Get to Beaver 60-90 minutes before the game starts.

There are three different types of students on Penn State gamedays. One is locked in on football, one cares about the team but also wants to have fun at the tailgates, and the other is all in on the experience surrounding the game rather than actually on the field.

If you fit in the first two categories, you should absolutely plan to enter the stadium at least an hour before kickoff. Most students enter in that final hour, and it becomes a madhouse trying to get in. You’ll be at risk of missing kickoff if you’re in that window, or, best-case scenario, stuck in the overflow section.

It’s a 3:30 p.m. game. If you’re one of those people who love football, get your tailgating in early and get to Beaver before 2:30. There’s plenty of time to do both.

Lyndsay Camp

Hydrate!

Even if you aren’t drinking, standing still in that student section for hours takes A LOT out of you. With tailgating on top of it, there isn’t too much sitting happening during the day. And if you are drinking, double that water intake. Drink water, take some electrolytes, and make sure you sit down if you start to feel dizzy!

Yes, you can have your fun, but just prepare so you don’t crash during the game!

Madison Sosnowski

Take pictures!

As silly as it might sound, you are going to want to look back on this experience. Don’t get so caught up in rushing around from one tailgate to another; just relax and enjoy the moment. Whether it’s the game, your friends, or the crowd, take a second to capture it!