James Franklin sat near the front of the media room for his weekly press conference on Monday, wearing a white Penn State hoodie. Never before during the head coach’s tenure have more Penn State fans cared about the color of the sweatshirt he was wearing.

Most of Penn State’s sports information directors scattered around the room also wore white, emphasizing a not-so-subtle message about Saturday night’s game. Franklin’s clothing choice came just two days after he said he was calling for “White-Out energy” as No. 9 Penn State hosts No. 19 Illinois.

No, Saturday night is not the official White out. But don’t be surprised if most of Beaver Stadium is decked out as if it is.

“We want people to have that experience that they identify with the White Out this weekend, whether it’s called that or not,” said Adam Miller, Penn State’s deputy AD for external affairs and engagement.

Miller said people in and around State College have been asking him this week if they should wear white on Saturday. The fact that gameday color choices have been discussed as much as before reminded Miller that Penn State fans are proud and protective of the White Out atmosphere that has been built over time.

Penn State’s White Out game is Nov. 9 against Washington, as announced in July. But it has become abundantly clear, both through Franklin and several player posts this week, that white is the color of choice if Penn State fans want to dress accordingly for the prime-time game on NBC.

“If you look in your closet and maybe there’s too much blue in the wash, maybe you have a stain on your favorite gray hoodie, maybe just take a look in the closet,” center Nick Dawkins said this week. ‘Look in the chest of drawers that you hardly open. You have something white, just put it on for the game and show some support. That’s it. Simply recommended.”

GO DEEPER

Penn State hosts White Out game against Washington: Did Nittany Lions do well?

Athletic administrators debated who Penn State’s White Out opponent would be during the offseason. The challenge of figuring out start times – many of which Penn State won’t have for the rest of the season – while recognizing that the big home game against Ohio State on Nov. 2 will likely tie into Fox’s “Big Noon Kickoff” complicates the decision for the White Out.

What few predicted at the time was that Illinois would be 4-0 and go to Beaver Stadium at No. 19. In retrospect, it certainly feels like Saturday could have been a compelling choice for a White Out. Meanwhile, a rebuilding Washington team is 3-1 and plays the likes of No. 12 Michigan and No. 13 USC before coming to Beaver Stadium in November. That game starts at 3:30 or 7 p.m., meaning fans may not get the full White Out experience of tailgating all day for a night game.

The complexity of planning and television will not make deciding on future White Outs any easier. What Penn State wants to continue to keep in mind is not to overdo what has become an annual stadium tradition. Penn State and college football fans build trips around the White Out months in advance. For some, it’s a bucket list item.

This week’s organic effort could be a glimpse of what Penn State will do in the coming years. Could Penn State host a White Out in a week if it wanted to do so for a potential College Football Playoff home game or a big home game that didn’t look so good a few months ago? Potential. But there’s still a lot of planning going on behind the scenes that would make pulling off such a feat a challenge. Even details that fans might not think about, like having more than 107,000 white pom-poms in the stadium, require planning and coordination. These will be available on November 9, but don’t look for them on Saturday. Will the team parade wearing white warm-ups like they do for the White Out? That is unclear.

“We’re always evaluating everything we do when it comes to the fan experience,” Miller said. “Whether that means the White Out is a announced and recorded event or whether it is something spontaneous and organic that our fans create, we support it. … We have the atmosphere that everyone else is trying to build and create. We’re trying to refine it and make sure it continues.”

As for what Miller will wear on Saturday?

“I think there’s a pretty good chance I’m wearing white,” Miller said.

(Photo: Dan Rainville/USA Today)