One of the great Penn State traditions has been what's called a "white out," when the entire 100k+ crowd wears white to a home game. However, this week, the Nittany Lions will be changing their colors. This time around, the color will be blue as the program hopes to raise awareness for child abuse in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal.
"From the day I arrived here I felt like it was so important to be involved in the community like Penn State football has been in the past, and especially as it relates to putting an end to child abuse," said head coach Bill O'Brien. "So I believe it's going to be a great day for the Penn State community. I think it's going to be a very, very tough football game, but I believe there will be another great crowd. The crowds have been really awesome, the student body, the crowds."
He says he hopes the gesture will make an impact on child abuse in the United States.
"To have the crowd dressed in blue T‑shirts for the Blue Out game and helping put an end and to have awareness to the child abuse problem in this country and everywhere, I think it's going to be a great day. Can't say enough about PCAR and what they do in Pennsylvania. We're just a small part of PCAR just trying to help them put an end to child abuse."
The "PCAR" that O'Brien refers to is the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape. Donations can be made at the game to support the charity.
“PCAR is honored to be the beneficiary of the Blue Out at Penn State,” PCAR CEO Delilah Rumburg said. “It is wonderful to see students being leaders in raising awareness and showing compassion for survivors of child sexual abuse. The events at Penn State demonstrate how an entire community can be impacted when a child is abused.”
For more on Penn State football, head over to Black Shoe Diaries, while SB Nation Philly has the latest on both the Nittany Lions and Temple.