Happy Valley isn't on the way to anywhere — that's the point. State College sits in a bowl of central Pennsylvania mountains, hours from every major city, and on football Saturdays it briefly becomes the third-largest population center in the state. RVs arrive Wednesday. The locals call the whole valley by the nickname, and once you've seen it in October you understand why it stuck.
The Mascot
The Nittany Lion is a mountain lion — 'Nittany' from Mount Nittany, the ridge that watches over the valley — and the costumed Lion is famous for one move: one-armed pushups after every score, matched to the point total, performed on a platform held up by cheerleaders. The scarf-wearing Lion statue on campus is among the most photographed spots in Pennsylvania, and rubbing its ear is supposed to bring luck.
The Saturday
Beaver Stadium holds about 107,000, and for one game a year — the White Out — every single one of them wears white, and the effect at night is genuinely disorienting, like the stadium is filled with static. Visiting players have called it the hardest environment in the sport. 'We Are' from one side, 'Penn State' from the other, for four hours, until the valley echoes it.
What to Wear
Our vintage Happy Valley line is hand-drawn lion art in navy and white on tees and caps — and yes, the white ones exist for a reason. Buy accordingly before a White Out. Start with the Happy Valley Quarterback Tee, the golfer rope hat and all Happy Valley gear.