UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Penn State Alumni Association — with support from its student groups, the Lion Ambassadors and the Blue & White Society — will once again help to create the best student section in the country, the S-Zone, during home Penn State football games at Beaver Stadium.  

Started in 1998 and routinely featured on national television, the S-Zone has remained an iconic part of Penn State’s student section. During every home football game, Lion Ambassadors lead a cheering section of 800 students above the South Tunnel entrance to the field, coordinating special T-shirts to create an “S” that is visible from any part in or above the stadium.  

Adding to the vibrant sight and the energy are the blue-and-white shakers distributed on game day by the student members of the Alumni Association, the Blue & White Society.  

Twice a season, the Alumni Association student leaders switch up the S-Zone from its classic blue-and-white look, adding a gold ribbon for the team’s annual THON game and dress in pink and black for Homecoming to honor Penn State’s original school colors. This year's THON game was Sept. 7 against Bowling Green, and you can see the S-Zone and shakers in action on the Alumni Association's YouTube channel. 

ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit, who has called numerous games in Happy Valley and nationally, said in 2019 that, “Penn State has the best student section in the country — by far.” 

Penn State football will host seven games this season at Beaver Stadium, with the Alumni Association sponsoring Senior Day: 

• Sept. 7 vs. Bowling Green (THON), Penn State won 34-27

• Sept. 21 vs. Kent State (Military Appreciation) 

• Sept. 28 vs. Illinois (Homecoming) 

• Oct. 5 vs. UCLA (Stripe Out, Student White Out) 

• Nov. 2 vs. Ohio State (Helmet Stripe) 

• Nov. 9 vs. Washington (White Out) 

• Nov. 30 vs. Maryland (Senior Day) 

The S-Zone also has appeared at home contests for Penn State men’s basketball and men’s ice hockey, and at Alumni Association events. More information on the S-Zone is available on the Alumni Association’s YouTube channel, along with a photo gallery from the 2022 game against Ohio State.  

Learn more about the S-Zone and the Lion Ambassadors here.

Learn more about the Blue & White Society here.  

For more than 150 years, the Penn State Alumni Association — the largest dues-paying alumni association in the world — has provided alumni with a strong and welcoming community, representative of the 775,000-plus alumni and 174,000-plus members it proudly serves. The Alumni Association keeps alumni connected to the University and to each other, while upholding Penn State traditions and supporting the University’s mission of teaching, research, and service. The Alumni Association produces the award-winning Penn Stater magazine, The Football Letter, and other publications, and offers alumni and friends volunteer opportunities, educational programming, and many other services. For more information about the Alumni Association, visit alumni.psu.edu/youbelong.