Saturday, the Ohio St. Buckeyes host the Penn St. Nittany Lions for their first away game since the sex-abuse scandal involving former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky made international headlines, and the university is doing its best to promote good sportsmanship.
According to The Lantern, Ohio State's student newspaper, several campus organizations have teamed up to establish a "be loud, be proud, be respectful" campaign during the game "to encourage students to treat PSU fans with respect." That campaign includes a YouTube video, posted on the university's official channel, featuring Ohio State athletes urging their fans to show respect.
"Don't chant things that are disrespectful to the situation, don't harass other Penn State fans, or give them a hard time about what's happening at their university," said Nick Messenger, the president of Ohio State's Undergraduate Student Government. "You can still root for our team to beat their team without being disrespectful to the situation."
That campaign will extend to the field of play as well. As Rusty Miller of the Associated Press reports, "players and coaches from both teams will meet at midfield and exchange handshakes in a show of sportsmanship and mutual respect" following the pregame coin toss.