MOOSIC -- As Big Ten champions, Penn State will play against USC in the Rose Bowl on January 2, and while no doubt there will be a lot of Trojan fans at the game in California, you can still expect to see quite the contingent of Penn State fans there from our area.
It wasn't easy interviewing Joan Farrell of Thompson Tours about Penn State fans heading to California for the Rose Bowl because her phone just kept ringing.
"As late as 11 o'clock last night and it started at 7 this morning, the phones have just been ringing off the wall," said Farrell. "Everybody is so excited."
Thompson Tours sent five buses to Indianapolis for last weekend's Big Ten championship, but Farrell, with her nails painted blue and white, quickly admits there is no comparison.
Fans were waiting for the Rose Bowl and she expects quite the crowd to make the trip once the calls start to die down.
"I'm saying probably in the neighborhood of 360 from those areas, and of course we have some competition, so who knows? I hope they're ready for us."
Across the board at various travel companies, package prices are in the range of $2,000 to $3,000 a person for tickets, airfare, and a hotel.
Joe Tutino was one of those calls.
"The Rose Bowl, the granddaddy of them all, of course," said Tutino. "It's not an easy thing to put together with air but I was able to get tickets!"
This 1971 graduate and his son have their tickets. Now, they're just figuring out how exactly to get to Pasadena at the best price.
"I'm going to try anything that I can. I even have a bus driver for Martz that might drive us out. He's a big Penn State fan. I'm trying that. I'm trying air, I'm trying Thompson Travel, I'm trying Travel World, I'm trying everybody!"
The Rose Bowl between Penn State and USC takes place on January 2 at 5 p.m.