Jeff Swensen for The New York Times
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — When Penn State traditionally kicks off its football season — almost always at home on Labor Day weekend — this small town and the surrounding hamlets buzz with life.
Fans clog the sidewalks along College Avenue, an armada of recreational vehicles invade otherwise empty fields, and the Blue Band’s percussive thumping echoes across campus. The sights, sounds and smells generate a distinct energy in the days leading up to each home game. Football permeates the air.
When game day arrives, the hulking monolith of Beaver Stadium fills with 107,000 fans — more than double the town’s resident population.