Bucknell University Athletics
Bucknell Men's Basketball to Turn Back the Clocks for Nov. 28 Penn State Game
10/31/2014 12:07:00 PM | Men's Basketball
**PURCHASE TICKETS HERE**
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Fans attending the Nov. 28 Bucknell-Penn State men's basketball game might just leave the building with a case of “Disco Fever.” That is because on that afternoon the Bison will be rolling back the clocks to 1976, which is the last time the Nittany Lions played a men's basketball game in Lewisburg.
To commemorate the occasion, many fun activities are being planned for the 4 p.m. tipoff between the Bison and Nittany Lions. First and foremost, both teams will be wearing throwback uniforms. Bucknell's game outfits will replicate the team's 1976 uniforms, complete with “Bisons” across the chest, as the school's teams were known back in that era. During warm-ups, the players will wear orange and blue striped pants, while the shooting shirts will feature a simple, block “B”. That is an homage to the 1897 Bucknell basketball team, which defeated Penn State 24-4 in the very first game played between the two Central Pennsylvania schools. Bucknell's program started a year earlier in 1896, making it the oldest Division I men's basketball team along with Yale and Minnesota.
Penn State's uniforms will feature a black and pink color scheme, which actually predates the now-familiar blue and white as the school's primary colors. According to Penn State, a three-member committee representing the sophomore, junior and senior classes was appointed in October of 1887 to develop color options from which the student body would select the school's official colors. Dark pink and black was the unanimous choice of the student body after considering the color combinations presented by the committee. One of the students on the committee who chose pink and black, George R. Meek, Class of 1890 and editor of La Vie, Penn State's yearbook, wrote, “We wanted something bright and attractive but we could not use red or orange as those colors were already used by other colleges so we chose a very deep pink – really cerise – which with black made a very pretty combination.” Soon many students and the baseball team were sporting pink and black striped blazers and caps. However, problems arose when the pink faded to white after several weeks of exposure to the sun. The students then opted for blue, rather than black, and white. The official announcement of the new choice was made on March 18, 1890.
In addition to the throwback uniforms, there will be a number of interactive fan activities on Nov. 28. Fans are encouraged to wear 1970s-style clothing to the game, and those who are dressed up will receive a voucher for a free fountain drink at the Sojka Pavilion concession stands. There will also be prizes for the best-dressed fans.
Of course, all of the music played in the arena that day will come from the wonderful '70s Disco Era, and fans will be asked to help choose the songs that are played. There will also be trivia contests and other fun and games throughout the day.
Penn State's last visit to Lewisburg came on Jan. 14, 1976, when the Bison prevailed 69-64 in Davis Gym. That would be Bucknell's last victory over the Nittany Lions until last season, when the Bison won 90-80 at the Bryce Jordan Center. Since that original meeting all the way back in 1897, these two teams have meet 101 times. Penn State leads the all-time series 76-25.
