Everything You Need to Know About the Penn State White Out

ESPN's Chris Fowler once referred to the White Out as "monochromatic mayhem." A look at the history of Penn State's big event.

The Penn State Nittany Lions run onto the field to take on the Auburn Tigers in the 2021 White Out game at Beaver Stadium. | Dan Rainville via Imagn Content Services, LLC

The Penn State White Out legally can drink this year, celebrating its 21st anniversary with one of the event's most-anticipated games. Penn State will host Oregon in just the second matchup of top-10 teams in White Out history. The No. 3 Nittany Lions take on No. 6 Ducks on Saturday night for a game that just might break the Beaver Stadium attendance record.

Penn State football has built its version of the White Out (Winnipeg Jets hockey was first, of course) into one of college football's highest-profile events, a show that relies on a simple request: Everyone wear white. Penn State coach James Franklin doesn't need much of a pitch to sell it.

"For college football fans all over the country, if you haven't experienced a Penn State football game and specifically a White Out, it should be on your bucket list," Franklin said.

Before the 2021 White Out vs. Auburn, ESPN's Chris Fowler referred to the event as "a stroke of genius," "the most telegenic experience in sports," "monochromatic mayhem" and "my favorite annual scene in college football." All that from a T-shirt. Here's a look at everything White Out.

What is Penn State's record in the White Out?

Penn State Nittany Lions fans cheer during the second half of their 2024 College Football Playoff game vs. the SMU Mustangs. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Nittany Lions are 11-6 in full-stadium White Out games dating to 2007. That includes two White Out games during the 2024 season. Penn State dominated Washington in the regular-season White Out, then overwhelmed SMU in a College Football Playoff version of the White Out. And that doesn't include the unofficial yet spontaneous White Out vs. then-undefeated Illinois early in the season.

Penn State has won six straight White Out games dating to 2019, the empty-stadium 2020 "White Out" vs. Ohio State notwithstanding. The Nittany Lions have beaten Michigan, Auburn, Minnesota, Iowa, Washington and SMU in that stretch. Only Michigan (No. 16), Auburn (No. 22) and Iowa (No. 24) were ranked in the regular-season White Out games.

The Penn State-Oregon is just the second White Out featuring two AP top-10 teams. The last was in 2018, when No. 4 Ohio State beat No. 9 Penn State 27-26.

Penn State also played four student-section White Out games from 2004-06 and in 2010. The Nittany Lions were 2-2 in those games, beating Ohio State (2005) and Michigan (2010) and losing to Purdue (2004) and Michigan (2006).

Date	Score
Sept. 8, 2007	Penn State 31, Notre Dame 10
Sept. 27, 2008	Penn State 38, Illinois 24
Sept. 26, 2009	Iowa 21, Penn State 10
Sept. 10, 2011	Alabama 27, Penn State 11
Oct. 27, 2012	Ohio State 35, Penn State 23
Oct. 12, 2013	Penn State 43, Michigan 40 (4OT)
Oct. 25, 2014	Ohio State 31, Penn State 24 (2OT)
Nov. 21, 2015	Michigan 28, Penn State 16
Oct. 22, 2016	Penn State 24, Ohio State 21
Oct. 21, 2017	Penn State 42, Michigan 13
Sept. 29, 2018	Ohio State 27, Penn State 26
Oct. 19, 2019	Penn State 28, Michigan 21
Sept. 18, 2021	Penn State 28, Auburn 20
Oct. 22, 2022	Penn State 45, Minnesota 17
Sept. 23, 2023	Penn State 31, Iowa 0
Nov. 9, 2024	Penn State 35, Washington 6
Dec. 21, 2024	Penn State 38, SMU 10

When did the Penn State White Out begin?

Penn State students get fired up for the 2021 White Out game between the Nittany Lions and the Auburn Tigers. | Dan Rainville via Imagn Content Services, LLC

In 2004, Penn State football had an image problem. The team went 3-9 the previous season, attendance was sagging, and fans were growing restless. So Guido D'Elia, a Penn State athletics marketing consultant, suggested a group function at Beaver Stadium. "Everyone's got a white T-shirt," he said.

Penn State held its first White Out, limited to the students, that October. Even though the Nittany Lions lost to Purdue, the event was successful, and the athletic department tried again in 2005. That was the igniter. Penn State beat No. 6 Ohio State 17-10 in front of another student-section White Out, though many fans joined in, and a tradition was born. Two years later, Penn State held the first full-stadium White Out against Notre Dame.

"When [fans] put on their whites, they expect to be intimidating, and they are," D'Elia said in a 2021 interview. "They made themselves a factor. Wearing white is part of the crowd's identity now, and their identity has become part of the Penn State brand. That's much better than the folks who came up with it. It has a life of its own now. Our fans have adopted this as their role. When they get in their whites, they mean business. They're an intimidating force, and just about every coach will tell you that."

The most memorable White Out moments

Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback Grant Haley reacts after scoring a touchdown vs. the Ohio State Buckeyes in the 2016 White Out game. | Rich Barnes-Imagn Images

Three moments in Penn State White Out history stand out:

Penn State vs. Ohio State, 2005: The game that made the White Out famous. Defensive end Tamba Hali punctuated the Nittany Lions' 17-10 win over Ohio State with an iconic sack of Buckeyes quarterback Troy Smith.

9️⃣1️⃣ days until Penn State football:

Tamba Hali flips Ohio State QB Troy Smith on his head, forcing a fumble and sealing the upset win for Penn State! Was this the loudest game in Beaver Stadium history? #WeAre pic.twitter.com/2UUUm1Kfyt

— Basic Blues Nation (@BasicBlues) June 1, 2024

Penn State vs. Ohio State, 2016: Another moment crystalized in Penn State history with a primal scream. Safety Marcus Allen blocked a second-half field-goal, which teammate Grant Haley turned into the most famous scoop-and-score in program lore. The Nittany Lions beat Ohio State 24-21 for what remains Franklin's most famous win.

Penn State vs. Michigan, 2019: The crowd forced Wolverines head coach Jim Harbaugh to take a timeout on the first offensive snap of the game. This has become one of college football's great viral clips, one that even Oregon's players know well.

"I’m pretty sure everybody’s seen the video of when they played Michigan, called the timeout,"
Oregon linebacker Matayo Uiagalelei said. "So I already know it’s going to be loud, I know it’s going to be fun, I know there’s going to be challenges. I’m just excited for it."

“The Penn State White Out has become so much more than a football game," Adam Miller, Penn State deputy athletic director for external affairs and engagement, said in a 2024 interview. "It’s an event. It’s a bucket-list experience for Penn State fans around the country, and people spend a lot of time planning trips around the Penn State White Out. It’s become a very, very special game. It’s created one of the most intimidating atmospheres in the country."