Behind enemy lines: best friends from rival schools

We all know those mixed feelings after receiving the “I’m coming to Penn State this weekend!” text from your best friend from home. When you’re not someone whose entire high school goes to this school, there’s a huge mystery about what it’s going to be like to have your two worlds collide.

It’s exciting to think your school friends will soon mesh with the people who’ve been by your side since kindergarten. But when your day-ones double as your game-day rivals, things get weird.

Of course, you’ll run into tons people you know throughout the weekend. And if you’re as polite as I am, you’ll introduce your BFFs to every single person you run into: friends, acquaintances, the maintenance guy at your house, that person you met freshman year who still doesn’t remember your name.

And if you’re as forgetful as I am, chances are, a lot of repeat introducing will happen. You may have said, “These are my best friends from home,” fifty times, but your friends only met, like, twenty people. At least they’ll know who you’re talking about when you tell stories about school next summer.

Having friends from a rival school visit for the weekend can be a piece of work. Sure – you can make a pact to not trash talk the opposing team, but the people sitting around you in the student section don’t know that. The minute they see a color other than blue and white, something is going to be said, shouted, or thrown.

Soon you’ll find yourself turning around to fellow Penn Staters and saying, “What’s your problem??” Truth is – you’re the one with the problem.

Did you seriously think your friends would last four quarters in our territory, aka the best student section in the country? Before you can say “chicken basket,” they’re going to be headed to the “other team” section, where they’ll watch the game from the tippy-top of Beaver Stadium with their school friends. But hey, give yourself credit for trying.

Freshman Gabby Salazar of New Jersey says Penn State fans had a lot to say to her friend from home at the PSU vs. Rutgers game.

“I love the Penn State student section, but so many people were yelling at my friend because she was wearing a Rutgers shirt. She didn’t want to leave my side,” Gabby said.

Senior Jamie Scott of Pittsburgh, PA, had a completely different experience when she visited one of PSU’s rival schools last fall. Scott says so many other Penn Staters were visiting their home friends, which made her feel like less of an outcast.

“When I visited my best friends at Michigan for the Penn State vs. Michigan game, it didn’t even feel like we were rivals. It was like we were all one team,” Jamie said.

Senior Jordan Irving of New Jersey wasn’t welcomed quite as nicely when attending Rutgers last football season.

She said: “It’s all fun and games ’til you find yourself in a sea of students yelling derogatory comments towards you. When my Rutgers friends came to visit me this season, it was more of a friendly rivalry.”

It’s tough to balance the loyalty to your best friends, while still maintaining your Penn State pride. It’s one of the most conflicting feelings if you’ve ever experienced it.

My advice? Have your rival friends visit on a weekend where they don’t have to promote their team on their tshirt. Keep a low profile, show them a good time and hit up Waffle Shop in the morning. Things are safer that way.