WILKES-BARRE SCRANTON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT -- It may as well have been the Happy Airport around 5 Thursday morning at the Wilkes-Barre Scranton International Airport.
Fans chanted, “We Are... Penn State!”
Loyal Nittany Lions fans were ready to go to Phoenix, Arizona for the Fiesta Bowl.
“Everyone is coming to support Penn State and that excitement is just there. It’s the best feeling ever,” Lindsay Fanella of Coal Township said.
Fans in the blue and white were confident the team can pull off a win on Saturday against the Washington Huskies.
“We can score, we can run the ball, we can throw the ball. I think we’re going to win but I think it's going to be a close game,” Art Lucarelli of Old Forge said.
The luggage lines were long and full of Fiesta Bound fans looking forward to the warmer weather.
“Love it. My son graduated Penn State back in ‘88, been a fan since God knows when. Love it,” Phil Scalise of Old Forge said.
More than 140 Penn State fans were at the airport getting ready for their flight to Phoenix. For many of them, this wasn’t their first bowl game.
“We didn't miss a home game since ‘92, so we've been around quite a while watching the Penn Staters and we will get a victory this year,” Fred Klock of Barnesville said.
“The last few years for Penn State we had some issues and now after the last few years Penn State seems to be back and the future looks very bright for us,” Bill Rainey of Dunmore said.
Even though fans are going to be more than 2,300 miles away, they’ll still be following along with Newswatch 16’s coverage with Jon Meyer and Jim Coles from the Fiesta Bowl.
“We’re looking forward to seeing Jon out there too,” Maryanne Klock of Barnesville said.
By 7 a.m. on Thursday, the fans took flight.
You can catch live coverage of the Fiesta Bowl all this week here on Newswatch 16.
Friday night at 7:30, we'll have our Duel in the Desert half-hour preview special.
The Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Arizona is scheduled for 4 p.m. on December 30 at University of Phoenix Stadium.
