Kirk Herbstreit praises Penn State White Out, declares Nittany Lions have 'the best student section in the country'

College atmospheres and rabid student sections are part of what make college football such a unique sport. Of course, there are several great and unique ones. However, for analyst Kirk Herbstreit, it’s the Penn State White Out and student section that stand out against the rest.

Herbstreit appeared on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday. There, he praised Penn State for its White Out atmosphere, putting it up against anywhere else in the country.

“You saw the White Out,” Herbstreit said. “First time in your life… People kind of, when you’re in the SEC and say you’ve got to go to the White Out, ‘Agh, that’s nothing.’ I’m like, ‘I’m telling you, the White Out and that Penn State student section, who I think is the best student section in the country, they drive it. So, I think the White Out is right there.”

With a record attendance of 111,030 at Beaver Stadium, the crowd cranks up the noise for the annual White Out game. Typically held on the biggest home game of the season, Penn State knows it’s an intimidating environment that can give the Nittany Lions an edge.

The White Out is a relatively new tradition at Penn State. It dates back to 2004 and was initially just for that student section, though it quickly expanded to the entire stadium. The Nittany Lions are now 13-9 in those games and 8-4 in those games under head coach James Franklin.

That atmosphere helps Penn State recruit, too. This year, the Nittany Lions hosted several key recruits, as they always do. That included Class of 2027 wide receiver Quentin Burrell, who would go on to praise the environment there.

“The experience was second to none,” Burrell said. “The White Out is something you have to see to believe—energy was unreal. That’s what makes Penn State special, playing in the biggest games on the biggest stage.”

Of course, Penn State is coming off a loss in its latest White Out. That was a two-overtime thriller against the Oregon Ducks. Ahead of that game, Oregon head coach Dan Lanning actually blasted “Mo Bamba” while his team was practicing to try and deal with the noise. Certainly, he seemed confident going into the game, using Penn State’s “We Are” chant to troll the Nittany Lions, saying, “‘We are about to get our ass kicked,’ is what they’re about to say” in the tunnel before the game.

Penn State lost the game, but you’d be hard-pressed to blame the atmosphere. It was electric for the entire night in Happy Valley. Now, those fans and players will need to wait another year for the next White Out and that incredible atmosphere that Kirk Herbstreit would compare to anywhere in the country.