INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Indianapolis is expecting thousands of Penn State fans in town for the Big Ten Championship this weekend. But right in the Butler-Tarkington neighborhood, dozens of alumni and friends join together to watch the Nittany Lions every week during the year at the local Penn State restaurant and bar, Hoagies and Hops.  

“I have (Philadelphia) Eagles fans that come in on Sundays, but these guys that come in and cheer on Penn State are a whole new light,” Hoagies and Hops owner Kristina Mazza said. “I even had one of my guys in the back one day say, ‘Did they score a touchdown? Oh, no, they just went two yards.’ That is how crazy these Penn State fans are about their football!”

Mazza has built a small sliver of State College right here in Central Indiana, and the Penn State family continues to support.

“Without fail, we get somebody who’s traveling through the area, and they’ve found our post and somebody came in from Boston, somebody came in from Florida, just to sit down,” said Todd Troup, associate president of Penn State’s Indiana Alumni chapter. “They love the atmosphere.”

“When they say, ‘Thank you for bringing me a taste of home,’ that is exactly why I left running multiple restaurants to start my own business,” Mazza said.

From Penn State-themed menu items and tailgate platters — even a special hot chicken sandwich named after the State College bar Lion’s Den — Hoagies and Hops is ready to party as Penn State makes its first trip back to Indy since 2016.

“I am from southeast Pennsylvania, so to just be able to give people their Pennsylvania grub to cheer on their Pennsylvania Penn State team, it’s going to be awesome,” Mazza said.

“I expect a lot of fans to be in town,” said Troup, who’s preparing his house for his Penn State friends coming in for the game. “I expect to hear a lot of ‘We Are’ cheers going on downtown and certainly at Kristina’s location, as well.

“I’m not sure that the Broad Ripple area’s going to understand what’s going to hit them this weekend when this all takes place.”

Hoagies and Hops is open late all weekend to help celebrate the big game.