On Saturday, Penn State football suffered a heartbreaking loss to No. 19 USC in the annual White Out. This White Out marked the first of the Matt Campbell era and set a new Beaver Stadium attendance record with 114,419 fans.

Anyone who has been to the White Out knows it is The Greatest Show in College Sports because of the harsh conditions it creates for away teams. From the Blue Band to the Lionettes and the Cheer Team, the energy is truly unlike any other.

Here’s what the freshmen at Onward State had to say about their first experience:

Christopher Green

My first White Out experience was truly something I will always remember. As a member of the Blue Band, I got an insider’s view from being on the field.

Coming out of the tunnel for our pregame was genuinely nerve-racking, seeing the sea of white that was ahead. Hearing the crowd roar when we started playing was just truly remarkable.

When the team ran out and fireworks shot from all four sides of the stadium, it was an unforgettable experience. After Penn State scored the first touchdown and the fans got fired up, the whole experience was awesome.

It was truly probably the loudest I have ever heard anything. It tops any of the concerts or sporting events I have been to by far. The drone show was a little lackluster, but it was still an awesome experience I’ll remember for the rest of my life.

Krisha Anand

My first White Out was one that I’ll definitely remember! The weather was perfect, the atmosphere was crazy, and it was something I had never experienced before.

From waking up and seeing herds of people in white pass my window as they headed to the tailgate lots, to walking there later and seeing thousands of people laughing and having fun for hours before the game, the entire experience was unforgettable. Going into the stadium was another experience altogether.

The long lines to climb the stairs or use the escalators, and then walking into the insanely packed student section, shouting the whole time, was something else. Despite the tough loss and annoying weather afterward, it was really cool to see White Out’s impact, from the light show to the record-breaking attendance.

Tadhg Gorman

My first White Out was an awesome experience. From the start of the tailgates through the fourth quarter, the whole day was so much fun.

The stadium’s energy was unlike anything I have ever experienced. Being from a small town, I had never seen so many people all in the same place, not to mention them all being in white.

The crowd was huge and really showed the spirit and community of Penn State fans. You see the White Out online all the time, but being there in person was truly surreal and something I will never forget.

Yoselin Ortiz

This was my first ever White Out, and it definitely lived up to its hype of having one of the best student sections.

The days leading up to the game built up an anticipation unlike any other game. From experiencing my first student section at Penn State to the White Out, it is truly unforgettable.

I loved seeing all alums and Penn State fans come out the day before to tailgate; you really feel like part of a big Nittany Lion family.

Jason Feldman

The Penn State White Out is unlike anything you will ever experience.

For the whole week leading up to it, it was all I could think about. Finally, when the day came, I was more excited than I’ve been in years. 

I started tailgating around noon, and I couldn’t wait to get into the stadium. For years, all I have wanted was to go to a Penn State White Out, so when I finally stepped into the stadium, the atmosphere was unlike anything I’d ever experienced. Then after about an hour of waiting, it finally started.

The second those lights went out, my adrenaline flew through the roof. When the intro video started, I even got chills. Then the team came out, and I couldn’t have been happier or more grateful to be in that moment.

For almost the entire game, I stayed there. The one thing that was a little frustrating was that during the second quarter, I left to get a bottle of water and they didn’t let me back into the student section for a solid 15 minutes. But once they let me back in, the energy went back up right away.

At the end of the day, am I bummed that we lost? Yes. But looking back, all I can think about is the excitement and energy of that brief moment. I am so grateful I got to experience that.

Laura Wells

When I accepted my admission to Penn State, I knew some of my best memories in Happy Valley would come from the infamous White Out game, and I was not wrong.

Social media can never truly replicate what it is like to look out into Beaver Stadium and see a sea of white. From waving the shakers on beat to “Zombie Nation,” chanting “We Are!” to screaming at the top of my lungs when Penn State scored a touchdown, the atmosphere a White Out game creates is nothing short of electric.

Although the Nittany Lions suffered an unfortunate loss as rain poured down on the stadium, it never diminished my first White Out experience.

I can only be grateful this happened my freshman year, and I hope and pray we win from here on out. In fact, I believe this loss will only make the future White Out wins even sweeter.

This game only proved to me that we are not called “The best student section in the country, by far!” for nothing.

Brooklyn Ulery

I’ve been to the White Out for the last 2 years and thought it was crazy, but I only thought that because of who we played.

Yesterday proved to me that nothing is like this experience, and I had a blast with all my friends. The loss didn’t affect how I felt during or after the game; the atmosphere made the night memorable, and I’m grateful I got to be there with the people I care about most.

It was awesome to see a full stadium and break the attendance record.

Conor McCormick

I’m a long-time Penn State football fan, and I have been to a few White Out games. But experiencing the White Out as a student was a whole different feeling.

As I walked out of my dorm and headed to my first tailgate of the day, I knew Happy Valley had a whole new energy. Unfortunately, I didn’t get to sit in the student section, which was a little disappointing, but I was only one to two sections from the Blue Band. The energy in that stadium was unlike anything I’ve experienced before, even at previous White Out games I’ve been to.

This one felt different.

Although Penn State fell short in the end, I feel like it was better than the last couple of games. There are still some things that need to be improved, and Penn State needs to get people back from injury, but it was still an amazing time.

The rain at the end felt like salt in the wound, though.

Isaac Lothrop

Personally, I think the bar set for a White Out experience is in a decent place. Of course, the atmosphere was electric, but my only real experience of the game before attending was the constant replay of “Mo Bamba” from 2019.

However, during the pregame routine of sitting in the stands two hours before kickoff to get a good spot, I think I had overestimated the feeling and atmosphere of the game. I felt that I had become somewhat numb to the hype, but I still thought I had a decent idea of what to expect.

Then they turned off the lights. Everyone went berserk, and I lost my voice midway through the first quarter. The only thing I’m still craving is a moment when the crowd truly erupted. I feel that the crowd went crazier for the pick-six against Wisconsin than for any moment in this game.

It’s a shame we didn’t have a game-defining play to reflect on, but the White Out experience itself was enough to show me that some experiences simply cannot be understood until you’re part of them. I’m lucky to have experienced it from the third row, and even luckier to have experienced it at all.

Ian Becker

For years, I watched Penn State football at home on the television with my parents, dreaming of going to a White Out.

Even though the result didn’t go Penn State’s way, it was still unforgettable. In the moments before the game, you could feel the anticipation brewing among the sea of white in Beaver Stadium. The atmosphere was electric; the stadium pulse was full throttle.

My buddy from back home, who came up from USC, was heckling me throughout the game, which slightly soured the experience. Still, as a lifelong fan, I’ll always treasure that moment. Hopefully next year we can secure the dub too.