Washington will experience a storied Big Ten tradition this season

Penn State announced that Washington will be the visitor for their annual White Out game, one of the loudest traditions in college football.

The Huskies will be getting a crash course in Big Ten tradition this season as a first-year member of the conference. Michigan comes to Seattle for a National Championship game rematch on October 5. They travel to Iowa on October 12, where they’ll be introduced to the Hawkeye Wave after the first quarter. A road trip to Indiana on October 26 will have a familiar air to it, as the Hoosiers have a cannon they fire after each score, as the Huskies do.

But on Monday, Penn State announced that Washington will be initiated into one of the Big Ten’s most famous traditions.

The Nittany Lions announced their game themes for the home football schedule on Monday, surprising some by selecting the November 9 game with the Huskies for the annual White Out game instead of the November 2 game against Ohio State.

Beginning in 2004, Penn State’s White Out is regarded as one of the best atmospheres in college football and is one of the most in-demand tickets of the season for Nittany Lions fans. Some of the best victories in Penn State’s recent history have come in White Out games. A 17-10 win over No. 6 Ohio State in 2005 locked in the tradition as a yearly occurrence, a quadruple overtime win over No. 18 Michigan in 2013 was the longest game in Big Ten history at the time, and a 2016 upset over No. 2 Ohio State included a blocked field goal return by Grant Haley, which was voted as the best Penn State football play of the century.

From 2012 to 2019, Penn State reserved the White Out for Ohio State or Michigan, but recent years have seen them employ the theme against Auburn, Minnesota, and Iowa. ESPN College Gameday has attended the White Out game six times, and the game has featured an unranked opponent only four times – Notre Dame (2007), Iowa (2009), Michigan (2010), and Minnesota (2022).

With the announcement, expect the Huskies to include even more preparation for their road schedule during fall camp practices. Head coach Jedd Fisch has already mentioned the trip to State College specifically as a preparation point, saying during the spring that Washington would continue to practice outside despite the rain to prepare for the possible elements at Penn State in November.