Penn State has set an attendance record against USC.
The total: 114,419.
This shatters the previous record of 111,030, set against Ohio State in 2024.
The Beaver Stadium revitalization project made it possible for the extra 3,000+. Still, it will suprise many that the attendance figure was this high. Throughout the week, people wondered how much interest there would be for Penn State’s 2026 White Out after the team had just dropped its first two Big Ten games to Wisconsin and Northwestern, respectively. Although USC football is one of the biggest brands in college sports, the distance from Los Angeles to State College, plus the complexity of getting to State College, made it reasonable to wonder about the amount of visiting fans.
But the visiting fans showed up, and so, obviously, did the home crowd.
The attendance was announced during the third quarter, with Penn State’s ahead 20-17.
Add Nittany Sports Now as a preferred source in Google! Click here to add us.One negative to Penn State’s highest attended games is that they haven’t done very well in them.
Coming into Saturday night, Penn State had lost the four highest attended games in Beaver Stadium history, all taking place during the James Franklin era between 2018 and 2025.
Penn State fans are hoping that the Matt Campbell era will bring more big time wins, which, it’s no secret, was one of the reasons the Franklin era ended last October.
Part of the draw for this year’s White Out may have also been due to the rest of Penn State’s home schedule, which consists of Purdue, Maryland, Rutgers and Minnesota.
In any case, it’s been an electric night in Happy Valley.
