Fishing and boating are going to have a close connection to football in Pennsylvania this fall.
Tailgating. It’s means football. Beer. Brats.
And fishing?
This fall it will.
The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission has struck a deal with Penn State University to set up a booth outside of Beaver Stadium for all home football games. It will likely do the same at the annual Blue-White game next spring, too, said Steve Kralik, director of the agency’s bureau of outreach, education and marketing.
The stadium seats a little more than 107,000. By some estimates, half again as many people go to games just to mill around outside the stadium, Kralik said.
That’s a huge potential audience to hear about fishing and boating, he said.
“We’re trying to put our brand in front of more people,” added commission executive director John Arway.
The commission will sell licenses at the game, Kralik said.
The most eye-catching part of the commission’s booth, though, will be a boat package donated by Bass Pro Shops. Kralik said he’s been assured it will be a 2017 model, complete with 20 horsepower motor and trailer.
Some visitor to the commission booth this season is going to win it in a drawing, he said.
Several commissioners said they like the idea of having a presence at the games, and would like to expand the effort.
“We should go to Temple, we should go to Pitt,” said commissioner Eric Hussar of Union County.
