UW Huskies will experience one of college football’s great traditions

Jul 16, 2024, 3:28 PM | Updated: 3:32 pm

Penn State takes the field against Auburn in its 2021 "Whiteout" game. (Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

(Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

Seattle Sports

With their move to the Big Ten, the UW Huskies will have the opportunity to play in some of college football’s most iconic stadiums.

One of those upcoming trips just became even more noteworthy.

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When the Huskies travel to Happy Valley to face Penn State on Nov. 9, the Dawgs and their fans will experience one of college football’s greatest traditions. Penn State announced Monday that the matchup will be its annual “Whiteout” game. The event has become one of the great scenes in the sport, with a sea of white-clad Nittany Lions fans packing 106,572-seat Beaver Stadium.

“We go to a lot of big games, a lot of big settings. There is nothing like the ‘Whiteout’ at Happy Valley,” longtime ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit said during the broadcast of a recent Penn State “Whiteout” game.

The Greatest Show in College Sports™ – 11.09.24#WeAre | @PennStateFball pic.twitter.com/NFQRegpIWm

— Penn State Athletics (@GoPSUsports) July 15, 2024

According to The Athletic, the game will kick off at either 12:30 p.m. or 4 p.m. Pacific time.

It will be the the Huskies’ first-ever trip to Beaver Stadium. UW is 0-3 all-time against Penn State, including a 35-28 loss in the 2017 Fiesta Bowl in their most recent meeting.

UW is expected to be the underdog in this matchup. Penn State is No. 12 in ESPN’s post-spring Top 25 rankings, while the Huskies are in rebuilding mode after losing 20 starters and their entire coaching staff from last year’s run to the College Football Playoff national championship game.

However, as former UW quarterback and FOX college football analyst Brock Huard said Tuesday on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk, witnessing a “Whiteout” game at Beaver Stadium is a bucket-list item for college football fans across the country. Beaver Stadium is the second-largest college football stadium by seating capacity, trailing only Michigan Stadium.

“The Huskies are going to be part of one of the greatest in-game traditions in all of college football,” Huard said. “It is incredible. It’s almost 110,000 people. … It is hard to explain. And when you hear Kirk Herbstreit say it is unlike anything in college football, that guy has seen it all in college football.

“Husky fans, get your plane tickets, man. Buckle up. It may not be pretty, and the line of scrimmage is gonna be very difficult for the Huskies this year, but that is a life experience you want to take in.”

Some other notable upcoming Big Ten road trips for the Huskies: They are slated to play at Michigan in 2025, at Wisconsin in 2025, at Nebraska in 2026, at Penn State again in 2027 and at Ohio State in 2028.

Listen to the full Blue 88 segment at this link or in the audio player near the bottom of this story. Tune in to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.