It’s been a while since Penn State’s vaunted White Out has been truly in the national spotlight. The 2021 matchup with Auburn featured two top-10 teams, but it was also a non-conference curiosity. The past three years featured Washington, Iowa and Minnesota, a trio of opponents that was blown out by the Nittany Lions.

Penn State hasn’t hosted a marquee Big Ten opponent in one of college football’s signature events since 2019 when Michigan faced off with the Nittany Lions in the infamous “Mo Bamba” game.

That changes Saturday night when No. 6 Oregon comes to face off with No. 3 Penn State in a prime-time tilt. The White Out will be in full effect when the Nittany Lions and the Ducks kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

During an appearance on ESPN’s “College GameDay” on the Old Main Lawn, Penn State coach James Franklin made a bold prediction for what Beaver Stadium will bring Saturday night.

“This will be the best environment in the history of college football tonight,” Franklin said. “I feel very strongly about that.”

“GameDay” analyst Pat McAfee set up Franklin for his remark by sharing that he was told by Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft that Penn State was expecting 111,000 or 112,000 fans for the game.

The Beaver Stadium attendance record is 111,030, a mark that was set last November against Ohio State. Despite Beaver Stadium’s renovations — there is temporary seating on the west side of the stadium atop the framework for the new grandstand — the capacity for the 2025 season is 106,304, Kraft said in August.

“This will be the best environment in the history of College Football tonight..

I feel very strongly about that” ~ @coachjfranklin #CollegeGameDay pic.twitter.com/mNi2RK9pQf

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 27, 2025

Penn State has drawn more than 110,000 fans to a game on 15 occasions in Beaver Stadium history. Last season, Penn State drew two of the 10 largest crowds in Beaver Stadium history, and in the past two years, the Nittany Lions have posted five of the 10 largest crowds in Beaver Stadium history.

In addition to the temporary seating in the construction zone, Penn State also erected temporary bleachers in the northeast and southeast corners of the stadium.

Through three games, Penn State is averaging 106,750 fans, including a season-high 109,516 against Villanova two weeks ago.

Last season Penn State hosted its official White Out against Washington in November, an unofficial White Out against Illinois in late September and then a College Football Playoff White Out against SMU in December.

Penn State is favored by 3.5 points over Oregon, according to Caesars Sportsbook. Be sure to stick with Lions247 for full coverage of the marquee matchup.

Read more: No. 3 Penn State’s drive to victory: Keys, roadmap vs. No. 6 Oregon

Daniel Gallen covers Penn State for Lions247 and 247Sports. He can be reached at daniel.gallen@cbsinteractive.com. Follow Daniel on X at @danieljtgallen, Instagram at @bydanieljtgallen and Bluesky at @danieljtgallen.bsky.social.