Sept. 27, 2017
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -
The Penn State football team will turn back the clock for a special "Generations of Greatness" game Saturday in the Big Ten home opener vs. Indiana. Elements of the game against the Hoosiers will take fans back in time, while the No. 4 Nittany Lions will don uniforms with design elements from uniforms past.
Fans are encouraged to wear their favorite Penn State football jersey to the contest.
Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. in Beaver Stadium and the stadium gates will open at 1:30 p.m.
"Penn State has such a great tradition and history and we wanted to find a way to honor and celebrate those "Generations of Greatness,'" Head Coach James Franklin said. "We are going to do so with a throwback game, some of the game day activities and then again with the uniform and pulling elements from many different uniform design elements through the years."
"Penn State football has a proud past that we are thrilled to honor as we continue to write the story of our bright future," Director of Athletics Sandy Barbour said. "Nike was a great partner in helping bring our vision to a reality as we recognize so many generations of Nittany Lion student-athletes. We can't wait to engage in the ultimate throwback game, featuring these uniforms at Beaver Stadium."
The on-field recognitions Saturday will include the late Fran Fisher, the beloved play-by-play voice of the Nittany Lions from 1970-82 and 1994-99. Fisher, who began his five-decade association with Penn State Athletics in 1966, also served as Executive Director of the Nittany Lion Club from 1982-88. Fisher passed in May 2015 at the age of 91.
Select "Generations of Greatness" game-worn jerseys, as well as "Generations of Greatness" helmets and gloves, will be available via auction at GoPSUsports.cbsi-auctions.com
starting at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. The auction will continue until the evening of Tuesday, October 10.
Penn State limited replica throwback jerseys are on sale at: shop.GoPSUsports.com
The "Generations of Greatness" game will include the following game day and uniform elements:
Game Day Elements
- Videoboard -- The Beaver Stadium scoreboards in the North and South end zone will have a display with a vintage look and feel.
- Music -- The in-game music will be a variety of hits from the 1950s to today.
- Cheer and Dance Teams -- The Penn State cheerleaders and Lionettes will wear historic outfits dating back to the 1950s.
- Honorary Captain -- The honorary captain is former Nittany Lion All-America linebacker Jack Ham. He also will be recognized as a 1988 inductee of the Pro Football Hall of Fame after helping the Pittsburgh Steelers win four Super Bowls.
- Blue Band -- The Blue Band will perform music throughout the game from 1950s to today.
- Game Program -- The cover of the Beaver Stadium Pictorial will have a look similar to programs from the 1950s.
- End Zones -- Both end zones will be painted with blue and white diamonds dating to the 1960s.
Uniform Elements
- Numbers on Helmets -- The Nittany Lions had the number on the side of their helmet from 1959-61 and then again from 1967-74. A No. 42 also appeared on the side of every Penn State helmet in the season finale against Wisconsin in 2012 to honor injured senior Michael Mauti.
- Block Uniform Numbers -- The block uniform numbers are similar to those uniform numbers that donned the Blue & White from mid-1950s-66.
- White Stripe on Sleeve -- Penn State's uniform had a white stripe on the sleeve several times, including 1957-66, 1982-89 and 1992-2011.
- Stripe on the Pants -- The Nittany Lions had a blue stripe on their pants from 1952-68.
- Striped Socks -- The striped sock pays tribute to those worn on game days from 1970-72.
- Gray Facemask -- The gray facemask was donned by the Nittany Lions from 1959-86.
- White Cleats -- The white cleats were worn by the Nittany Lions in the 1979 Sugar Bowl.
- Gloves -- The gloves for the Indiana game will feature the Lion Shrine on the palm of the hands.
- Lion Shrine -- The image of Lion Shrine appears on the "home plate" of the front of the jersey. It is an original element of the "Generations of Greatness" uniform to pay homage to the Lion Shrine that was a gift from the Class of 1940.
- Back Inside Collar -- The back inside collar of the jersey reads "Penn State 1959" in recognition of the first Liberty Bowl game, played in Philadelphia. Penn State defeated Alabama, 7-0.
The No. 4 Nittany Lions (4-0, 1-0) host Indiana (2-1, 0-1) Saturday at 3:30 p.m. The game will air on the Big Ten Network, GoPSUsports.com and the Penn State Sports Network (2 p.m. airtime).
Single-game tickets for the 2017 Penn State football season presented by PSECU are available for three home games (Indiana, Rutgers, Nebraska). For information on single games, joining the Nittany Lion Club and purchasing new 2018 season tickets, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can visit www.PSUnrivaled.com, call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. or visit the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office weekdays from 9 a.m-4:30 p.m. More than 9,000 new season tickets were sold and the 2017 season ticket allotment has been exhausted.