Alumni Association student groups play pivotal role on game day

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State’s student section is widely known as one of the best in the country.  

As the Nittany Lions prepare to launch their 2025 season, the Lion Ambassadors and the Blue & White Society — the student groups of the Penn State Alumni Association — are once again working to make the iconic S-Zone the student section’s unforgettable centerpiece.  

Started in 1998 and routinely featured on national television, the S-Zone finds the Lion Ambassadors leading a cheering section of 800 students above the South Tunnel entrance to the field, all wearing special T-shirts to create an “S” visible throughout the stadium.   

Adding to the S-Zone’s vibrant energy are the shakers distributed to the entire student section on game day by the Blue & White Society, the Alumni Association’s student members. The students wave the shakers throughout the game, especially when Penn State is on defense, adding to the frenzied atmosphere and‚ according to many Penn State opponents, contributing to a distinct home field advantage.  

From kickoff to the alma mater, the Lion Ambassadors and Blue & White Society provide energy and support all game.  

Twice a season, the Alumni Association student leaders switch up the S-Zone from its classic blue-and-white look. For Homecoming, the students dress in pink and black to honor Penn State’s original school colors. Then during the team’s annual THON game, a gold ribbon augments the traditional formation. 

Penn State football will host seven games this season at Beaver Stadium, with the Alumni Association sponsoring Senior Day:  

• Aug. 30 Nevada (107K Family Reunion)  

• Sept. 6 Florida International (THON)  

• Sept. 13 Villanova (All-U Day)  

• Sept. 27 Oregon (White Out)  

• Oct. 11 Northwestern (Homecoming and Stripe Out)  

• Nov. 8 Indiana (Helmet Stripe and Military Appreciation)  

• Nov. 22 Nebraska (Senior Day presented by the Penn State Alumni Association)  

ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit, who has called numerous games in Happy Valley and nationally, said in 2019 that, “Penn State has the best student section in the country — by far.” Alumni and fans can see this quote displayed above Gate A, where students camp out before games. That student section, known to Penn Staters as “Nittanyville,” was named the 2019 Live Mas Student Section of the Year and has been nominated for the award and won several weekly honors since then.   

Learn more about the S-Zone and the Lion Ambassadors here. 

Learn more about the Blue & White Society here.   

For more than 150 years, the Penn State Alumni Association has provided alumni with a strong and welcoming community representative of the Penn Staters it proudly serves. The association keeps alumni connected to the University and to each other, while upholding Penn State traditions and supporting the University’s mission of teaching, research and service. The association also produces the award-winning Penn Stater magazine and other publications, and offers alumni and friends volunteer opportunities, educational programming, and many other services. For more information about membership in the Alumni Association, visit alumni.psu.edu/youbelong.