UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State alumni and fans traveling to the Big Ten football championship will have plenty of opportunities to connect and cheer on the Nittany Lions at events this weekend in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Alumni and all Penn Staters will gather Friday night, Dec. 2, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Buffalo Wild Wings, located at 7 East Washington Street, for a mixer hosted by the Penn State Alumni Association. Penn State cheerleaders, Lionettes, and the Nittany Lion will be in attendance, and the venue will feature Penn State-themed music and videos. There is no advance registration required or reserved seating, so alumni and fans should plan to arrive early.  

On Saturday, the Alumni Association will sponsor a Big Ten East Champions Penn State Pep Rally at 5:30 p.m. in the Indiana Convention Center, Exhibit Halls D & E. The pep rally is free, but a wristband is required for admittance. Wristbands will be distributed on Saturday beginning at 3 p.m. outside Exhibit Halls D & E on a first-come, first-served basis. The pep rally program begins at 6 p.m. and will feature the Penn State Pep Band, cheerleaders and Nittany Lion. Space is limited and doors open at 5:30 p.m. Official hashtag for the event is #PSUPepRally. Check out the Alumni Association’s Facebook, Twitter, and online sites this week for more info about both events.

The Big Ten has instituted a clear bag policy for the game, which impacts the type and size of bags permitted into Lucas Oil Stadium. Fans attending the championship will be asked to enter with clear bags and should be prepared to arrive early, the conference office has announced. An online PDF here explains the policy.

Other weekend highlights for those traveling to Indianapolis include:

• On Saturday, Dec. 3, Penn State alumni and fans are invited to attend ESPN’s College GameDay, which will originate from the Big Ten Championship Game from 9 a.m.-noon. GameDay will be located at the Pan American Pavilion, at 201 S. Capitol Street, a short walk from Lucas Oil Stadium. College GameDay is hosted by Rece Davis, Kirk Herbstreit, Desmond Howard, Lee Corso, David Pollack and Samantha Ponder.
• Penn State alumni and fans also are invited to attend the BTN Tailgate show, which will originate Saturday from 3 to 4:30 p.m. at the Fan Fest in the Indiana Convention Center, which is adjacent to Lucas Oil Stadium. BTN Tailgate is hosted by Dave Revsine, Gerry DiNardo and Anthony Adams, a standout defensive tackle at Penn State who played nine years in the National Football League.
• The Penn State Blue Band is scheduled to perform at 4 p.m. during BTN Tailgate and again at 5:15 p.m. in Fan Fest, which is open Friday from 3 to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fans with a ticket to the Big Ten Championship game are admitted free to Fan Fest. The admittance fee for Fan Fest is $8 for fans who do not have a game ticket.

For more information on the game, hotels, parking maps, Fan Fest, and Lucas Oil Stadium regulations, visit the Big Ten website.

The Penn State-Wisconsin game will air on FOX and the Penn State Sports Network, which will go on the air at 6:30 p.m. BTN’s Big Ten Football Championship pre-game show will air from 6:30 to 7 p.m. and coverage begins on FOX at 7 p.m.