In Game
The Penn State basketball team may be in the shadow of the football team, but that doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy your trip to State College to see a Nittany Lions basketball game. At the Bryce Jordan Center, you’ll see plenty of tributes to the best players and teams in Penn State men’s and women’s basketball. You’ll see murals of the 1954 Final Four team as well as John Amaechi around the concourses, and there are plenty of banners hanging from the rafters too.
The basketball team may have a much smaller fan base than the football team, but that doesn’t mean you won’t find plenty of diehard Nittany Lions basketball fans. The student section does an admirable job of creating an intense atmosphere, and you’ll encounter plenty of fans who know their stuff when it comes to Penn State basketball.
The performances of the pep band, Nittany Lion mascot, and the dance and cheer teams also play a significant role in making a trip to a Penn State basketball worth your time. These groups each keep the crowd involved in the game and go a long way in creating a big-time college sports atmosphere inside the Bryce Jordan Center.
After the game, make sure to hit up Kildare’s Irish Pub or Letterman’s Sports Grill to cap off an exciting night of Penn State basketball.
Penn State is a great road trip destination for fans located in the eastern portion of Big Ten country, and you won’t have to break the bank as the Bryce Jordan Center is home to some of the most affordable tickets in the conference.
Things to check out
Basketball Murals
Around the concourse, you’ll find murals of all the best moments in Penn State basketball history. Mural subjects include the 1954 Final Four team and John Amaechi, so make sure to check them all out when attending a Penn State game.
Banners
Hanging from the rafters of the Bryce Jordan Center are banners celebrating the best moments in men’s and women’s basketball history. Take a minute to check out these banners and remember all of your favorite Penn State basketball memories.
Nittany Lion
The Nittany Lion has been Penn State’s mascot since 1904 and is modeled after the mountain lions that are believed to have once roamed Mount Nittany. Penn State fans love The Nittany Lion, so don’t miss him and his antics when attending a Penn State game.
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Legion of Blue
The Penn State student section known as “The Legion of Blue” lines three sides of the court and gives Penn State a great home court advantage. The Legion of Blue are among the most diehard fans, and their chants can be heard throughout the Bryce Jordan Center on game days. Don’t be afraid to join in on the Legion of Blue’s cheers to give the Nittany Lions as much support as possible.
Dirt Sheets
Before every game, the Legion of Blue provides dirt sheets on the other team. The dirt sheets are an excellent way to stay up to date with Nittany Lions basketball and give a lot of info on the opponents, so make sure to read one if you’re sitting in the student section.
Band
The Nittany Lions have one of the best marching bands in the nation, so it should come as no surprise that their pep band is outstanding as well. You won’t be able to help but rise to your feet and cheer for the Nittany Lions thanks to the musical stylings of the Penn State pep band.
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Lionettes and Cheer Team
The Penn State Lionettes dance team and the cheer team giving rousing performances when the action on the court stops. Stay in your seat during stoppages, so you don’t miss these talented performers.
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Fight Songs
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Penn State Alma Mater
For the glory of old State,
For her founders strong and great,
For the future that we wait,
Raise the song, raise the song.Sing our love and loyalty,
Sing our hopes that, bright and free,
Rest, O Mother dear, with thee,
All with thee, all with thee.When we stood at childhood’s gate,
Shapeless in the hands of fate,
Thou didst mold us, dear old State,
Dear old State, dear old State.May no act of ours bring shame
To one heart that loves thy name,
May our lives but swell thy fame,
Dear old State, dear old State. -
The Nittany Lion (Hail to the Lion)
Every college has a legend, passed on from year to year,
To which they pledge allegiance, and always cherish dear.
But of all the honored idols, there’s but one that stands the test,
It’s the stately Nittany Lion, the symbol of our best.Chorus:
HAIL! to the Lion, loyal and true.
HAIL! Alma Mater, with your white and blue.
PENN! STATE! forever, molder of men (and women),
FIGHT! for her honor — FIGHT! — and victory again.Indiana has its Hoosiers,
Purdue its gold and black.
The Wildcats from Northwestern
and Spartans on attack.
Ohio State has its Buckeyes,
Up north, The Wolverines.
But the mighty Nittany Lions,
The best they’ve ever seen.(Chorus)
There’s Pittsburgh with its Panther,
and Penn her Red and Blue,
Dartmouth with its Indian,
and Yale her Bulldog, too.
There’s Princeton with its Tiger,
and Cornell with its Bear.
But speaking now of victory,
We’ll get the Lion’s share.(Chorus)
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Fight On, State
Fight on State (GO!)
Fight on State (GO!)
Strike your gait and win, (LET’S GO STATE!)
Victory we predict for thee
We’re ever true to you, dear old White and Blue.
Onward State, (GO!)
Onward State, (GO!)
Roar, Lions, roar: (LET’S GO STATE!)
We’ll hit that line, roll up the score,
Fight on to victory ever more,
Fight on, on, on, on, on, Fight on, on, Penn State!
(S-T-A-T-E GO! STATE!) -
Penn State Victory
FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! for the Blue and White,
Victory will our Slogan be.
Dear Alma Mater, Fairest of all
Thy loyal sons will obey thy call,
To FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! with all their might
ever the goal to gain;
Into the game for Penn State’s fame,Fight on to vict’ry (WE! ARE! PENN! STATE!)
Fight on to victory.
