Penn State’s vast nation of students, graduates and fans converged in State College on Saturday for the home opening game of the collegiate football season.

Amid a see of blue and white clothing and the pungent pall from countless cookouts, Nittany Lion stalwarts seem to fall in love with the tailgating experience almost as much as the football.

Some come for the football — although not every fan had even heard of Penn State’s opponent, Coastal Carolina University, before this season’s schedule was printed.

Others come for the party. Tailgating may not have been invented at Penn State, but it has been refined into a high art form there.

Others come for the camaraderie. Season ticket holders also are season parking pass holders, and most tend to spend the pre-game “warm up” in the same spot year after year. During the six or seven home games per year, they may spend more quality time with their tailgating neighbors than they do with their real neighbors.

Nearly everyone comes because it is Penn State, a university, an institution and a football program that inspires extreme loyalty.

For Tom Aber of Milton, that sense of loyalty first instilled by his foster father has led him back to Happy valley for 42 years.

“We just continued the trend by coming,” Aber, the holder of 14 season ticket seats, said. “We come here for the games. We come here for the people. It’s a nice group.”

That group includes a strong contingent from central Pennsylvania. Aber’s tailgating neighbors include people from Lewistown, Danville Milton and Shamokin. Many seem drawn to a program — and a coach — with a winning tradition.

“We’re here because of the success of the Penn State program,” Aber said. “Joe Pa(terno) is a good coach, a motivator.

Aber also motivated his girlfriend, Cindy Fawess, to start tailgating, too, about four years ago. It did not take much arm twisting, though.

“I couldn’t wait to come,” she said “I love the tailgating, going into Beaver Stadium and seeing all the fans. It gives you such a rush. Even when we pull in just seeing Beaver Stadium give you a rush.”

Fawess carries some of the rush with her wherever she goes. Her cell phone rings to the tunes of the Penn State Blue Band.

And while she may not want to ever escape from Penn State, she said the weekend in Happy Valley helps her escape the stress from her job as a Northumberland County Children and Youth Services caseworker.

“This is a nice break,” she said.

There is little break in the football action at the Shoop household in Danville.

Straight from watching his quarterback son, Andrew, pick apart Milton on Friday night, Gary Shoop got to watch his other favorite team, Penn State, pick apart tiny Coastal Carolina U. Not that he minded.

“I’ve been a Penn State fan since I came out of the womb, I guess you could say,” while tailgating right across from the players entrance at Beaver Stadium. As soon as I graduated from high school, I joined the Penn State Club. I’ve missed only two home games in the last 20-25 years.”

Even if the Nittany Lions weren’t assured of a victory, Shoop said he would still be there.

“I love football,” he said. “It does not matter who they play, I’m not a fair-weather fan.”

Being a fan also means getting to the stadium bright and early, eating, drinking and socializing.

“I was here at 7:30 (a.m.),” he said. “We always leave at the same time no matter what time the game starts. We leave Danville between 6 and 6:30 a.m.”

But the early start is not to beat the traffic.

“It’s reserved parking, but we just like to tailgate,” he said. “The whole atmosphere is great.”

That whole atmosphere has rubbed off on at least one of his children.

Erica Shoop, 23, has been coming to Penn State games since she was 2.

“I love it. I live for Penn State football Saturdays,” she said. “It was really cool growing up in this atmosphere.”

She still sports a “Daddy’s little Nittany Lion” t-shirt, in fact.

Then, she attended Penn State as a student.

“I went to college here,” she said. “It was a totally different experience in the student section. Even if I hadn’t grown up around Penn State football, being a student here would have made me fall in love with it anyway.”

Her roommate, Kenton Adrience, is so in love with the Penn State experience that he stayed after graduation.

“ I liked it so much I decided I wasn’t going to leave,” the native of Montrose said.

“Opening Day is the greatest day all year,” he said.

For Shamokin resident Rick Bonetti, Penn State’s powerhouse reputation is a big draw.

“It’s a big time sporting event that is close to home,” he said. “It is nationally broadcast — except for today. It normally is.”

Bonetti’s tailgating buddies have other reasons.

Jim Catino of Shamokin said he comes because of “Ricky Bonetti,” although he also admits he likes “getting to see other folks we see only a couple of times a year.”

Rick Roughton said he comes to Happy Valley because “it gets you away from Shamokin.”

For Roughton, the social aspects trump football.

“I’m more of a baseball fan,” he said, adding. “But I really like Penn State.”

Good food, good friends and the occasional visit from a big-name former player like Blair Thomas make Saturdays something to be enjoyed and remembered for the all the tailgaters.

“We don’t usually botch tailgates,” Erica Shoop said. “We pretty much go big or just stay home.”

And since these tailgaters never stay home, the party is always big.