The White Out is a tradition at the Pennsylvania State University during select Nittany Lions home football games, where home team spectators come dressed in white. It has been described as "the best atmosphere in college football." It is also among the most expensive regular season games of college football, with ticket prices ranging upwards of $250. All White Out games are showcased with an advanced fireworks display lining the east and west ends of Beaver Stadium.
During these games, Zombie Nation's "Kernkraft 400" is often played after a big play, and rapper Sheck Wes' "Mo Bamba" is normally played on the first defensive snap of the game.
As of 2025, Michigan has appeared in the most White Out games at six, with Ohio State in second, having appeared in five. Iowa is the only other team to have made multiple appearances, currently with two as of 2025. Eight other teams have each made a single appearance, of which only four were not members of the Big Ten Conference. The White Out is the football program's premier home event, and as such, it frequently touts some of Penn State's biggest rivalries, non-conference opponents, and highly rated recruiting opportunities.
History
In 2002, leading up to a much anticipated game against Nebraska, there was a fear that a "Sea of Red" would overtake the stands in Beaver Stadium. An email began to be circulated amongst Penn State fans to both wear blue to the game and not to sell their tickets to Cornhusker fans. Dubbed "Operation Visine" (to "get the red out"), this precursor to the modern White Out worked, as there was not only record attendance, most of whom were Penn State fans, but the Nittany Lions upset #7 Nebraska 40–7.
In 2004, to try and draw extra excitement for the team in what was a down year for the program, the Penn State Athletic Department asked students to wear white to the upcoming game against Purdue. Over 20,000 students participated and, despite losing the game, it was deemed a success. Students were again asked to wear white to the following game against Iowa in what is considered to be one of the program's worst outings. Although the "wear white" participation was about the same as it was in the previous game, the crushing 6–4 loss resulted in a drop in popularity of the event. A final attempt was made for the final game of the season against Michigan State. This time, however, the Athletic Department decided to change strategy with a "Code Blue" dress code and extended it to all fans in the stadium. Students were sent from dorm to dorm to spread the word to maximize participation. Penn State won 37–13 thanks to a 28-point third quarter off the back of a plethora of Spartan interceptions. Despite finally getting a win, the Code Blue tradition did not stick and students went back to wearing white the following season. Even though the 2004 season had three games with dress codes, only the game against Purdue is counted as an official White Out.
The White Out would be cemented in 2005 with an upset win over rival Ohio State. The crowd was the second largest in Beaver Stadium history at the time, which many believe helped Penn State win.
For the 2007 game against Notre Dame, the all-white dress code would be officially extended to all spectators, not just the student section. This was the first of only three White Outs to feature a non-conference opponent, with the others being Alabama in 2011 and Auburn in 2021. From 2012 to 2019, the game alternated between Ohio State and Michigan. Initially, the Ohio State game in 2007 and the Michigan game in 2008 were considered official White Out games with the full stadium called a White House, but due to fan enthusiasm for participating in the White Out, these were retconned into official White Out games.
The Penn State Bookstore began selling official White Out shirts for the 2008 game, a tradition that holds to this day. The shirts are designed and chosen by students.
The 2013 and 2014 editions featured the only two White Outs to go to overtime. In 2013, Penn State upset 18th-ranked Michigan, 43–40. The Nittany Lions tied the game after a touchdown with only 27 seconds remaining, and the Wolverines missed a field goal short on the ensuing drive to end regulation. After both missing field goals in the first overtime and a matching pair in the second, Penn State fumbled the ball on the first play of the third. However, Michigan missed a potential game winning field goal on the following drive. The Wolverines opened the fourth overtime with a field goal, putting the pressure on the Nittany Lions. After a defensive pass interference call in the endzone, the ball was placed on the one-yard line. Penn State ran the ball for a touchdown on the next play to finish the game, making it the longest in Big Ten history. In 2014, Penn State lost to 12th-ranked Ohio State in double overtime, 31–24. Despite being predicted to get blown out prior to kickoff, the Nittany Lions played a tough, close game and led the Buckeyes in overtime. The loss is controversial, though, as many college football observers thought it was marred by questionable officiating, specifically citing two missed calls.
Perhaps the most influential White Out was Penn State's 24–21 upset win over No. 2 Ohio State in 2016, which is regarded by many as one of the best games in Penn State football history. The pivotal play, Grant Haley's blocked field goal return in the 4th quarter, was voted as the best Penn State play of the 21st century. The game's aftermath included fans storming the field at Beaver Stadium and celebratory riots in downtown State College. Their White Out rematch two years later, a 27–26 loss, would break the Beaver Stadium attendance record, edging out the previous record (the 2017 White Out against Michigan, a 42–13 victory) by less than 70 attendees.
The 2020 White Out was originally scheduled for October 24 against Ohio State. The game was rescheduled to October 31 when the Big Ten announced its updated conference-only schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On August 6, Penn State announced that the Nittany Lions' season would begin with no fans in attendance at Beaver Stadium, casting doubt on the possibility of a White Out game in 2020. Fans ultimately were not allowed to attend any games, leading to the annual tradition being canceled for the first time since its inception. Despite the cancellation, the official 2020 White Out shirt was still sold by the Penn State Bookstore, making it a unique, novelty item of memorabilia.
The 2021 White Out game was against Auburn but a variation of the White Out involving a blue helmet stripe was used against Michigan, the Nittany Lions would lose that game 21–17.
In 2024, the White Out was against Washington officially but James Franklin called for "White Out energy" against ranked Illinois to create the same effect. This was due to fans being unhappy about the Washington game having lost its luster due to the team having multiple losses, and the likelihood of FOX making the rivalry game against Ohio State part of its Big Noon Kickoff lineup, which fans were unhappy about as many believe that the effect of the white out is diminished compared to an afternoon or evening game.
On December 21, 2024, Penn State held a daytime White Out against SMU for its first-ever home College Football Playoff game.
Although fans are dressed in white, Penn State always wears its traditional home blue uniforms for the game, while the visiting team wears white. Head coach James Franklin has explained that the team wears blue to create contrast, helping Penn State’s receivers stand out to quarterbacks against the sea of white-clad fans and opponents.
ESPN's College GameDay has attended six White Out games since the inception of the tradition. The 2005 season marked their first White Out visit, followed by the 2009 loss to Iowa. The show had been at every White Out between 2017 and 2019, and were among the first to try the Penn State Creamery's new "White Out" ice cream.
Penn State has only faced an unranked opponent for the White Out five times since its inception. These include Notre Dame in 2007, Iowa in 2009, Michigan in 2010, Minnesota in 2022, and Washington in 2024.
While traditionally played at night in prime time, there have been seven White Outs that have started during the day. These include matchups against Purdue in 2004, Notre Dame in 2007, Alabama in 2011, Ohio State in 2012, Michigan in 2013 and 2015, and the first-round playoff game against SMU in 2024. Penn State holds a 4–3 record in these games.
Results + Season Date Time (ET) Opponent Penn State Attendance2004October 94:30 p.m. Purdue20Penn State 13108,1832005October 87:45 p.m. Ohio State 10 Penn State17109,8392006October 148:00 p.m. Michigan17Penn State 10110,0072007September 86:00 p.m.Notre Dame 10 Penn State31110,0782008September 278:00 p.m. Illinois 24 Penn State31109,6262009September 268:00 p.m.Iowa21 Penn State 10109,3162010October 308:00 p.m. Michigan 31Penn State41108,5392011September 103:30 p.m. Alabama27 Penn State 11107,8462012October 275:30 p.m. Ohio State35 Penn State 23107,8182013October 125:00 p.m. Michigan 40Penn State43107,8842014October 258:00 p.m. Ohio State31 Penn State 24107,8952015November 2112:00 p.m. Michigan28Penn State 16107,4182016October 228:00 p.m. Ohio State 21Penn State24107,2802017October 217:30 p.m. Michigan 13 Penn State42110,8232018September 297:30 p.m. Ohio State27 Penn State 26110,8892019October 197:30 p.m. Michigan 21 Penn State28110,6692020No White Out game due to COVID-19 pandemic2021September 187:30 p.m. Auburn 20 Penn State28109,9582022October 227:30 p.m.Minnesota 17 Penn State45109,8132023September 237:30 p.m. Iowa 0 Penn State31110,8302024November 98:00 p.m.Washington 6 Penn State35110,233December 2112:00 p.m. SMU 10 Penn State38106,0132025September 277:30 p.m. Oregon30 Penn State 24111,0152026October 107:30 p.m. USC Penn State Penn State overall record: 13–9
Similar events Since 1987, both the previous and current iterations of the National Hockey League's Winnipeg Jets have held a "White Out" for all home playoff games. In recent years, multiple NFL teams have held similar White Out-style events where fans are asked to dress in white. Since 2022, the Minnesota Vikings have held an annual "Winter Whiteout" game at U.S. Bank Stadium in December, where the Vikings wear a special all-white uniform combination to complement it. The Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers and Buffalo Bills have also held similar White Out–style events.
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