About 25 die-hard Penn State football fans were lingering outside Gate A at 11:30 Wednesday night and more, most likely equipped with tents and other camping supplies, were planned to gather early this morning for the first Paternoville of the 2008 season.
"Paternoville is the collection of the most hardcore and die-hard Penn State football fans in our student body that camp out for some of the big games or all of the home games in the fall," said Tom Boroch, Paternoville Coordination Committee (PCC) president.
Residents of Paternoville were permitted to begin camping for the Penn State-Coastal Carolina game at midnight because of a university mandate barring them from gathering earlier, Boroch said.
The tent city, which grew to more than 100 tents before last year's Ohio State game, was given its Joe Paterno namesake in 2005, but the idea has a long tradition at Penn State.
"The name Paternoville was created or thought up by a freshman in 2005, but the practice of camping out started in 1993 when the university switched to its current ticketing procedure, where the first person [in line] gets the first seat," PCC Vice President Chris Grassi said.
Grassi said he understands some people may wonder why he would camp out for the Coastal Carolina game -- a clash against a Football Championship Subdivision school. But even if it may seem "simplistic," he thinks all Penn State games are created equal.
Kyle Heyler (senior-agricultural sciences) was one of the first to arrive at this season's Paternoville and said, "We plan on being here for every game, no matter how big or small."
Lyndsie Smyser (sophomore-public relations) said Penn State's opponent doesn't matter as much as the game itself.
"It's exciting that the season's starting, I've been looking forward to this since the last season ended," she said.
Grassi has camped out for every home football game since 2005 and said he planned to arrive to gate A at 12:01 this morning to kick off his senior season. He said he plans to camp out with about seven other friends who have participated in Paternoville in the past, so they know what to expect.
"We know that we have certain responsibilities to each other. We don't want anyone to miss class. We don't want anyone to miss sleeping or miss eating, but we're looking forward to spending time at the stadium and having fun," Grassi said.
Paternoville will see some changes this season, such as a tent registration, Boroch said, although, "as of now, Paternoville will be the same as always. We will continue to campout in front of Gate A."
This year, members of Paternoville have been granted a weeklong campout for Illinois and another for Michigan, pending good behavior during the Illinois campout, according to an e-mail circulated among Paternoville residents this summer.
In an effort to limit the game-day chaos associated with the student section entrance during home football games, three temporary serpentine lines will be installed this season to help with crowd control, according to the e-mail.
However, nothing will deter true fans.
"I freakin' love football," Kristina Borneby (sophomore-division of undergraduate studies) said Wednesday night as some of the other Paternoville residents passed a football, waiting for game day.
