Local police departments will increase their presence in the area for Blue and White weekend festivities, while the Centre County Alcohol Task Force will coordinate sobriety checkpoints.

"Everybody is scheduled to work," Penn State University Police Supervisor Clifford Lutz said, adding that he expects about 60,000 people to attend the game this Saturday.

However, this weekend's weather forecast may chase away some fans. The Campus Weather Service indicates that showers are likely tonight, and that Saturday might be cool, rainy and breezy with a high near 50 degrees.

"Attendance is always down if there is rain or if it is cold," Lutz said. "If it rains as much as they say Friday night, this raises problems for people parking on grass lots, which raises traffic-flow problems."

Lutz also said university police would increase their patrols around campus tonight and tomorrow night.

State College police Sgt. Mark Argiro said the department would also increase its patrols.

"We typically have extra manpower during the day," Argiro said. "During the game, the university requests our assistance. We'll also have some additional officers downtown."

The Centre County Alcohol Task Force will aim to "reduce or eliminate the injuries or deaths caused by intoxicated persons in Centre County" this weekend, according to a statement issued yesterday by Detective John Conti of the Ferguson Township Police Department.

Its efforts will include sobriety checkpoints and roving DUI patrols, coordinated by officers from Ferguson Township, Patton Township, State College and Bellefonte boroughs, Spring Township,and the Centre County Sheriffs Department, according to the statement.

The statement said motorists traveling through the Centre region should expect only a minimal delay at a checkpoint.