When that rough 7:30 a.m. alarm goes off on a chilly Saturday morning, some may cringe at the thought of having to throw on game day attire and start ripping shots to get to the tailgate, but I marvel at that thought. Noon games certainly have a rough reputation for getting the best of all who attend, however, these games are by far my absolute favorite ones.
First of all, noon games allow for plenty of pre-and-post-game celebrations. Unlike those 3:30 p.m. games-- which some may say reign supreme-- which force you to choose to nap or to post-game tailgate, 12 p.m. games allow plenty of time for both.
Second, noon games also give you the ability to fit three days into one. The first day is the tailgate and the game. Day two is the post-game party/tailgate and a nap and the third day is anything you do at night. During a later scheduled game there is little time to prepare for the night at all, let alone be able to nap and get your favorite foods for dinner.
Third, they allow you to get that delicious chicken basket guilt-free. When you arrive at Beaver Stadium, you and you search for your seat amongst the thousands of people, you have no reason to fear if the first thought that pops into your mind is one consisting of chicken fingers, fries and honey mustard. With the game falling right at lunch time, you don't have to face the guilt of eating four meals (not including food after midnight). Those heavenly fried pieces of chicken are simply your lunch!
Finally, noon games truly take the cake when there is no longer any excuses for your friends not to rally at night. With a solid six hour gap between the end of the game and the start of your social, you and your friends will all have more than enough time to get in a solid nap, shower, eat and get ready all over again for another night out.
So, next time you awake to the sound of drunk girls screaming "we are" in the street at 7:30 a.m., fear not for you are in store for the best game time that exists here at Penn State.