Penn State students have mixed reactions to Minnesota being the 2022 White Out

Story posted June 2, 2022 in CommRadio, Sports by Alex Rocco

Just one day after Penn State announced its opponent for the White Out, fans are still talking about the selection.

In a shocking move to many, the program selected its matchup against Minnesota on Oct. 22 to be the White Out.

There was a debate among fans about whether Ohio State or Minnesota should be the White Out, and the selection of the Golden Gophers has caused mixed reactions from fans.

“As long as I can remember, the White Out has always been the most influential game of the year and often against the highest-ranked opponents such as Michigan and Ohio State,” Jordan Thomas (junior, Finance) said. “It saddens me that Minnesota is the White Out due to Fox Sports claiming the Ohio State matchup for their big noon kickoff.”

With Fox Sports controlling the rights to the contest against the Buckeyes and the station being known for its Big Noon Kickoff, there was deliberation as to which game was going to be the White Out.

The team even put out a poll on Twitter asking fans what matters most when choosing what game should be the White Out.

67. 9 percent of people voted to have the spectacle played at night, with the next highest being the opponent coming in at 29.4 percent.

Last campaign, Penn State hosted its White Out against Auburn and came away with a 28-20 victory over the Tigers.

It’s now the second consecutive season that the Nittany Lions won’t take on Michigan or Ohio State in the White Out game.

Before these two years, the last time the blue and white Nittany Lions didn’t face either the Wolverines or Buckeyes in the game was 2011, when Alabama beat Penn State 27-11.

This tradition of playing the blue and white’s biggest rivals in the White Out is something that many students feel shouldn't be broken.

“The choice to make Minnesota the White Out game is extremely demoralizing to the fans and students,” Chris Osenbach (junior, Criminology) said. “It’s clear Minnesota isn't as good as Ohio State is, and if Penn State prides themselves on football, they should be making their big games such as the White Out against big-time teams.”
The blue and white chose the Stripe Out to be the theme for when it takes on its arch-rival Ohio State.

The sea of white in the stands and over one hundred thousand fans constantly screaming creates a hostile environment for opponents, which helps Penn State in several areas.

Over the past few seasons, the Nittany Lions have had some of the best recruiting classes in the nation, and a large part of that goes to the White Out and its raucous environment.

Osenbach shares the same thoughts as many fans, who feel that since the game is against a worse opponent, there won’t be the same environment, hurting Penn State’s chances to land some of the recruits who attend the game.

Although several people are disappointed in the selection, some fans believe making Minnesota the White Out was the correct choice.

“With Ohio State most likely taking place during the day, it doesn’t make sense to select that game to be the White Out, which is often at night,” Alden Gilbert (junior, Aerospace engineer) said. “Having the game at night allows for a loud environment and should hopefully lead to a victory over a formidable opponent.”

The Nittany Lions have never played against Minnesota in the White Out, and since its establishment in 2004, they hold a 9-8 record.

Alex Rocco is a second-year student majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email afr5646@psu.edu.