Legion of Blue is the student cheering section supporting the Penn State Nittany Lions men's basketball team. The cheering section has been around as long as the Penn State basketball team, but the organization was formed in 2003 as the Nittwits before changing its name to Nittany Nation in 2007. In 2015, Nittany Nation was rebranded as Legion of Blue in an effort to better organize the group. Legion of Blue was named after the Legion of Boom , the nickname of the mid-2010s Seattle Seahawks defense that was popular during the time of the rebranding. ESPN and the Big Ten Network have featured the section during live game action.
12-527: The Legion of Blue stands courtside behind the team benches, behind the basket near the Penn State bench, and behind the pep band in back of the other basket. During big games, there is student overflow seating available in the upper deck on the pep band side. The Legion of Blue supports the Nittany Lions and makes life as difficult as possible for the opposing team by standing and making noise through
24-627: A facade construction project. The original, 1953 iteration of the building was named the Hetzel Union Building, or HUB, after Penn State president Ralph D. Hetzel, who served as the 10th president of Penn State University from 1927 to 1947. Prior to 1999, the Robeson Center resided in the Walnut Building on Penn State’s campus. The Robeson Center was originally referred to as Penn State’s Black Cultural Center, but
36-588: A free flat screen TV to the student showing the most spirit. In the fall, season tickets are sold for $ 35, and individual tickets can be purchased for $ 5 at the Bryce Jordan Center on gamedays. For many high profile and weekend games, individual student tickets can be purchased in advance in the HUB-Robeson Center . Some students have noted that Penn State basketball season tickets pay for themselves after considering money saved from eating
48-479: Is the student union building, centrally located on Penn State's main campus in University Park, Pennsylvania . This building was originally constructed in 1953 and has undergone major renovations in 1973 and 1983. Along with these renovations, a 91,000 square foot addition was added to the existing building in 1997. Most recently, in 2015, an additional 50,000 usable square feet was created as part of
60-455: The Legion of Blue plans away game bus trips to both conference and non-conference gymnasiums. Past excursions include visits to Seton Hall , Michigan , St. Joseph's , Penn , and Virginia Tech . The Legion of Blue has brought busloads of students to Madison Square Garden several times: twice for Penn State's National Invitation Tournament (NIT) championship runs in 2009 and 2018, and also for
72-539: The Legion of Blue's free food before games. The Legion of Blue traditionally experiences increased membership during successful seasons and the years following. The Bryce Jordan Center sold out for the first time since 2011 during a February, 2020 match vs. Minnesota, due in large part to a strong showing by the Legion of Blue. Penn State went on to win the game 83-77. Other games with high student attendance include Penn State's 2011 Senior Night vs. Ohio State and Penn State's 2020 THON Hoops game vs. Ohio State. Some seasons,
84-587: The end of the basketball season. Legion of Blue helps organize events with the university's athletic department and the basketball team to benefit Penn State THON , a dance marathon dedicated to curing childhood cancer. Each year, the Legion of Blue helps host the THON Hoops game, where all revenue from single game student tickets in donated to THON under the name of the organization of the student's choice. Students also receive colorful shirts worn to generate awareness. THON children and their families are seated in
96-454: The entire game, making signs, and leading chants. All Penn State students who purchase season or single game tickets are automatically members of the Legion of Blue and are eligible to sit in designated Legion of Blue seating areas and take advantage of promotions such as free food before games and t-shirt giveaways. During the final TV timeout of each game, Legion of Blue officer Ethan Cook, better known by his persona as "PSU TV Guy," hands out
108-519: The inaugural B1G Super Saturday in 2016. The Legion of Blue is run by an executive board of undergraduate students that are especially passionate about Penn State basketball. Board members help organize promotions and free food at games, interact with Penn State students and fans on social media, organize events such as the annual "Fill the Forum," and spread Penn State hoops fandom across campus. Applications for new board members open each spring following
120-417: The month for their contributions to the annual THON Hoops game. Legion of Blue was featured in conjunction with Penn State THON as part of ESPN's Student Spirit Week for the Nittany Lions' 2008 matchup against Ohio State, and 2005-06 president Jennifer Owsiany was named ESPN's 2006 "Miss Bracket" after an online poll of college basketball's biggest superfans. HUB-Robeson Center The HUB-Robeson Center
132-485: The typical section section behind the basket near the Penn State bench and are recognized throughout the game. Legion of Blue and its members have been recognized by a variety of sources for their school spirit and charitable work. During the 2017-18 school year, Legion of Blue won the Lion Light student organization of the month award for their September "Fill the Forum" event and the Penn State student organization of
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#1732798401635144-706: Was renamed after Paul Robeson in 1986 for his contributions to the civil rights movement in the 20th century. In 1999, the Robeson Center moved from the Walnut building to the newly renovated HUB, which was then renamed the Hetzel Union Building-Robeson Center (HUB-Robeson Center). As the HUB-Robeson Center is the campus’s student union, it provides a variety of services, retail spaces and dining options to students, faculty, staff, and visitors of Penn State University. In 1996,
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