UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Head coaches from 11 Penn State programs will be a part of the presentation at the ninth annual Penn State Football Eve Friday evening. Each coach will deliver a message to the crowd, beginning with men's basketball head coach Patrick Chambers' talking about One Team.
Penn State will kick off the football season and a big home sports weekend with Football Eve at 7 p.m., followed by men's soccer and women's volleyball matches at 8 p.m. Admission and parking are free for Penn State Football Eve. The Nittany Lions' season opener against Ohio is at noon Saturday.
Joining Chambers and football coach Bill O'Brien at the event are: Coquese Washington (Lady Lion Basketball), Bob Warming (Men's Soccer), Jeff Tambroni (Men's Lacrosse), Mark Pavlik (Men's Volleyball), Robin Petrini (Softball), Missy Doherty (Women's Lacrosse), Rachelle and Jeff Thompson (Women's Gymnastics), Josh Brandwene (Women's Ice Hockey), Randy Jepson (Men's Gymnastics) and Guy Gadowsky (Men's Ice Hockey).
Penn State Football Eve starts the festivities the night before the Nittany Lions' season opener and O'Brien's first game on the Penn State sidelines. There will be food vendors outside Beaver Stadium starting at 6 p.m., with stadium gates opening at 6:30 p.m. followed by the 7 p.m. pep rally inside the stadium with the team and O'Brien, the Blue Band, cheerleaders, Lionettes dance team and videos.
Immediately following Penn State Football Eve, students and fans will are encouraged to walk from Beaver Stadium to Jeffrey Field or Rec Hall for 8 p.m. men's soccer and women's volleyball matches.
The women's volleyball team will be playing its home opener vs. Stanford as part of the Nike Big Four tournament. On Saturday, Coach Russ Rose's Nittany Lions will battle Texas at 7 p.m. in Rec Hall to conclude the Nike Big Four event. The squad enters the weekend 3-0 after posting wins against Morehead State, Western Kentucky and Louisville at the Active Ankle Challenge in Louisville, Ky.
Coach Warming's men's soccer team hosts Duquesne Friday at 8 p.m. on Jeffrey Field for their third home match of the season. The Nittany Lions picked up wins against Stetson and Hartford on opening weekend. On Sunday, the Nittany Lion field hockey team hosts Lafayette at 2 p.m.
Penn State Football Eve, which launches the first weekend of the football season, annually attracts enthusiastic crowds of 20,000 or more.