The stands of the Bryce Jordan Center, which had been sparsely filled with supporters earlier today, were packed tonight for the Thon pep rally.

People started to filter in a few hours before the pep rally began, and the curtain covering the upper level of the BJC was raised to accommodate the growing crowd. Many supporters sported white T-shirts for the "White Out." In one section, students wearing blue and white T-shirts formed the Four Diamonds symbol in the first-ever "Blue Diamond Zone" sponsored by the Lion Ambassadors.

"[The pep rally] was a great way to get the spirit in here started again," Deena Berger (freshman-division of undergraduate studies) said. "The diamond was a great idea. It brought back the football spirit."

Before the pep rally, Touch of Blue and Blue Sapphire PJ Maierhofer took the stage as the Blue Band played familiar songs such as "Fight On, State" and "Hey Baby."

The crowd on the floor was split in half as sports teams arrived one by one and made their way to the stage area. The Nittany Lion arrived in a sequined red blazer and danced his way through the crowd Michael Jackson-style.

The pep rally started with the first-ever Thon Athlete Music Awards. The emcees for the event were Joe Battista and former Penn State basketball player Nate Althouse. They were joined onstage by Four Diamonds child Isabella Messina, who was dressed in a Penn State cheerleader uniform, and former Penn State softball player Kari Lucas.

For the awards show, each sports team performed a dance routine to compete in one of three categories.

Judged by crowd enthusiasm, the women's soccer team won the Best Pop Performance category with its routine to the Spice Girls's "Spice Up Your Life," and the men's tennis team won the award for Best Hip-Hop Performance. Mike "Bringin' the" Funk, 2007 Thon overall chairman, presented the award for Best of the '80s performance to the men's golf team.

After the awards presentation, a student dressed as Joan Rivers welcomed everyone to the Athlete Music Awards after party.

"I definitely think the pep rally got the dancers pumped up," Juan Vargas (freshman-hotel, restaurant and institutional management) said. "I could feel the energy rising."