OPINION: Ranking the top 5 environments for Penn State athletics

Penn State is mostly known for the football program and raucous environment at Beaver Stadium every fall, specifically the Whiteout game. But holistically, Penn State athletics have a variety of teams that create a terrifying home advantage for opposing teams. But which environment ranks at the top for the Nittany Lions?

No. 5 Penn State women’s soccer – Jeffrey Field

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This might come as a shock to some, but the environment that the women’s soccer team has created is one of the best environments for Penn State athletics in general. Park Avenue Army is one the most loyal student sections on campus from the first game in the August heat to the cold games towards the end of the season. The team is usually one of the first teams to return for the fall season and often will fill up the 5,000-seat Jeffrey field for the opening weekend and the earlier games in the season.

Penn State women’s soccer is also one of the most dominant teams on campus. Success always breeds interest and women’s soccer is no different. Under current head coach Eric Dambach (formerly Walsh) the Nittany Lions hold a 241-81-24 (129-31-12) record since 2007. Penn State won their first national championship in 2015 and have reached at least the Sweet 16 in eight of the past nine seasons.

The consistency that Penn State women’s soccer has shown since its inception in 1994 has kept the team with one of the best home fields in the sport. The Nittany Lions have often finished the regular season undefeated at Jeffrey Field and that is with consistently hosting other top teams like North Carolina, UCLA, and Stanford. While they might not have a Whiteout the women’s soccer team is an underrated gem that is a must-visit for anybody heading into town on a Friday night of a home football weekend.

No. 4 Penn State wrestling – Rec Hall

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The most dominant program in Penn State history has one of the best environments on campus. Cael Sanderson and the Nittany Lions are fresh off their 3^rd consecutive NCAA Championship and have won 11 titles in the past 13 seasons. Every single dual sells out Rec Hall no matter the opponent.

While success can help build a great home environment, it also can have the opposite effect. Penn State wrestling has been so good and so dominant that blowouts have become a regularity. The Rec Hall crowd was criticized this past year for being too quiet and it even resulted in Cael Sanderson deciding to have music playing during matches.

This is a first-world problem to have because it means that the team is so dominant that the fans don’t need to get up for every single matchup. However, it holds the team back on this list when looking from purely a home environment. This could all change if a team like Oklahoma State with new head coach David Taylor closes the gap a little bit on Penn State and takes some of their talent making the NCAA Championship and duals more exciting. That still is just a hypothetical and for now, Penn State wrestling at Rec Hall remains 4^th on the list in ranking the top environments for Penn State athletics.

No. 3 Penn State women’s volleyball – Rec Hall

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The other major sport that Rec Hall is well known for is the 7-time NCAA Champion Penn State women’s volleyball team. Women’s volleyball has one of the most decorated histories of any team in the building. The Nittany Lions fill up for almost every game and are often considered one of the hardest places to play for other top teams in the country.

The “Wrecking Crew” student section is one of the most consistent and larger student sections that Penn State boasts. What helps women’s volleyball also is its schedule lining up with the football season. Often the team will give ticket discounts to football fans who show their tickets, and this results in even more sellouts.

With multiple national title contenders within the Big Ten and the fast-paced game that is volleyball, this team and venue was an easy No. 3 on the list. Penn State women’s volleyball will look to return to national prominence in 2024 after landing the No. 1 overall recruit for the class in just the 3^rd year under new head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley. If the Nittany Lions can return to form as a national title contender, Rec Hall may be moving up on this list and potentially challenge the Whiteout someday.

No. 2 Penn State hockey – Pegula Ice Arena

Just behind Penn State football and the annual Whiteout, comes Penn State hockey. Despite being one of the newer venues on campus, Pegula Ice Arena has certainly made a name for itself in the short decade-plus of existence. Penn State men’s hockey continually sells out Pegula Ice Arena and often averages over 100% attendance thanks to standing-room-only tickets. In 2023 a new arena attendance record was set when 6,578 fans packed Pegula to watch the Penn State defeat Ohio State 4-3. Penn State finished 2023 with a 110.7% capacity which was the highest in the nation.

The Roar Zone is without a doubt the second-best student section on campus behind only football and packs the steep seating behind the opposing goaltender 1,000 strong.

The continuous chants and songs from the Roar Zone help always keep the energy high in Pegula. The student section was built as steep as it could be to code, making it feel like the students were right on top of the opposing goalie for the 1^st and 3^rd periods. Add in the metal roof that amplifies the sound back towards the ice and you have one cool environment at Penn State and College hockey.

Barstool Sports personality Mike Grinnell was blown away by the atmosphere this past season posting to his social media “I can’t believe Penn State is a real place and that people get to spend 4 years her #Heaven”. That was after visiting a team that didn’t make the NCAA tournament. If the Nittany Lions can return to form and compete for the Big Ten and Frozen Four in the future, sellouts like we saw in 2023 will be a formality.

No. 1 Penn State football – Beaver Stadium

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This was the no doubt easiest No. 1 to put on the list. The 22,000-seat student section is not just the best on Penn State’s campus, but as ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit once labeled it, the “best in the country.” The Whiteout is one of the most well-known games and creates a challenging environment in college football and a bucket list place to visit for many fans.

Beaver Stadium has great attendance even when the team is bad, but when successful, it will pull over capacity crowds even for non-Whiteout games. While attendance has been declining in college football over the past decade, it seems like Penn State football has increased. Gone are the days of sub 100,000 crowds and more often than not the crowd is close to a sellout no matter the opponent.

Night games will always be the loudest, but having a packed stadium for a noon kickoff is why Penn State is one of the hardest places to play and is yearly ranked as one of the best environments in college football. James Franklin bringing Penn State back to a consistent level and national ranking over the past decade has certainly contributed to the incredible home-field advantage. While many will certainly talk about his flaws in big games, there is no question that Beaver Stadium is at the top of the sport and the Whiteout is a large reason why.

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