UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — It has been 75 years since the Penn State's first intrasquad spring scrimmage, known as the "Bucket Bowl," in May 1951. The spring football event has since evolved to become a full weekend of festivities drawing tens of thousands visitors and fans. This year's event will feature an open-practice format at 1 p.m. on April 25.
When head football coach Rip Engle came to Penn State from Brown University in 1950, Penn State — like in previous years — faced off against other teams for their spring scrimmages. They played Navy on April 14 and Bucknell two weeks later. Then, Engle was asked to play an intrasquad scrimmage sponsored by the Alumni Association to benefit the scholarship fund.
On May 5, 1951, Penn State football players were split into Blue and White teams to face off against each other in the first-ever Penn State intersquad match. Approximately 500 fans attended the game — which was held on the State College High School Memorial Field due to new grass having just been planted on the team’s home turf at New Beaver Field. As reported by The Daily Collegian, general admission was $1 and 50 cents for students, with proceeds benefiting a Penn State scholarship fund.
The Blue and White teams, each led by a student captain, faced off for a chance to win an old water bucket trophy, and the scrimmage was the culmination of a five-week spring training program. In 1951, the Blue team won the coveted prize with a 7-0 victory. For the next four years, the spring game would be unofficially known as “The Bucket Bowl.”
Find more information about the 2026 Blue-White Weekend, with practice slated to begin at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 25 at West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium, on Penn State News and gopsusports.com/bw-central.
[Editor's note]: This story was originally published on Penn State News in April 2024 and updated in 2026 to commemorate 75 years since Penn State's first springtime "Bucket Bowl" was played.