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Penn State had sold out its allotment of tickets, prompting the university to seek an additional 4,000 tickets for the game. Eager to satisfy as much of that demand as possible, the Nittany Lions sought to accommodate a total of 11,000 requests. So great was the demand, students hoping to buy tickets via walk-up sale on Dec. 13 were asked to begin lining up no later than 8 a.m. And they did, on a Saturday morning, mere hours after what one would assume were some seri- ous semester-ending parties. "We've sold out our allotment and then some," said Franklin at the Nittany Lions' bowl media day later that after- noon. "This morning I went out and thanked, I don't know how many stu- dents it was who were out there in line, in the cold buying tickets. So I went out and thanked them and interacted with them." For Franklin, the response was an indi- cation of the passion and enthusiasm of Penn State's fan base. No doubt, that type of demand is exactly what the Nit- tany Lions' first-year head coach wants to see, especially on the heels of a trying 6-6 regular season. But, as he noted, the bowl's location has a lot to do with its popularity. After kicking off their season with an expen- sive trip across the Atlantic, the Nittany Lions are wrapping it up in a spot that is closer to home than almost every Big Ten road contest. For a lot of the fans who will be in attendance, the trip to the Bronx will be shorter than the one to Beaver Stadium. And then there's the al- lure of Yankee Stadium. It may be a modernized version of the legendary ballpark, but for the baseball fans in Penn State's program, guys like center Angelo Mangiro and coaches Bob Shoop and Charles Huff, it's still capable of evoking nostalgia. "The opportunity for us to play in Yankee Stadium is pretty cool. Anybody who knows me, knows I played baseball in college. I dreamed someday I might be playing center field or pitching in Yan- kee Stadium someday," Shoop said. "But I'll take this one. This is good." In a city where anything and every- thing happens all at once, bowl officials are happy to take the lead in setting an outstanding itinerary for everyone in- volved. For players and their families, the schedule will be packed when bowl week arrives. Team dinners in Little Italy, bus tours of New York, a visit to the Radio City Christmas Spectacular on Christmas night, a trip to the 9/11 memorial in low- er Manhattan, coaches and captains ringing the New York Stock Exchange bell, players and their families invited to FAO Schwarz on a morning before the store opens, skating (for the families, not the players) at the Trump ice rink in Central Park, dinner at Yankee Stadi- um's Legends Club, and charitable op- portunities at Memorial Sloan Ketter- ing's pediatric cancer center will fill the trip. Of course, it will also be capped by a game against the Eagles on Saturday afternoon. "I don't know if you can find a bowl that's going to offer more opportunities from a cultural perspective and enter- tainment perspective," Franklin said. "There are so many things to do in New York that are going to enrich our guys' experience." Though the bowl will be her first as Penn State's athletics director, Sandy Barbour took her cues from the initial surge of ticket sales to state proudly, "You will see the Penn State nation de- scend on New York on Dec. 27." It's happened before. When the Penn State men's basket- ball team won the NIT in 2009, the university brought 37 busloads of stu- dents from State College to Madison Square Garden for the championship game. Even the now-annual Coaches Caravan sees big numbers for its NYC stop. And, although students will still be on break when this event occurs, they've already demonstrated that there is every reason to expect the same type of turnout. From an entire community that seems to love New York – and is loved in return – it's an experience that will only strengthen those connections. ■ 111 E. Beaver Ave s State College, PA 16801 www.The-Phyrst.com 814.234.4406 137 Elmwood St. s State College, PA 16801 www.HappyValleyBeer.com Wood-fire Grill 12 Beers on Tap 200 Year Old Barn 821 Cricklewood Dr. s Toftrees, State College www.AmericanAleHouse.net 814.237.9701 s Piano Bar s Sommelier 814.238.1406 814.234.7700 s 1611 Atherton St. s State College 814.941.7788 s Plank Rd. Exit s Altoona www.ChampsSportsGrill.net s Best Game Bar s Large Groups Welcome c lc e W We s p u o r G e g r a L s a e B m a st G e B s S n S h 1 A 1 6 1 0 0 7 7 4. 3 2 4. 1 8 me co r a l l C S r G s rt o p S s p m a h C . www s t i x . E d k R n a l P s 8 8 7 7 1. 4 9 . 4 1 8 S s . t n S o t r e h t 1 A 1 6 1 s 0 0 7 7 4. 3 2 4. 1 8 t e n . l l i r na o o t l A e g e l l o C e at t S

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