Disneyland Resort Welcomes Rose Bowl Game-Bound Teams, No. 5 Penn State and No. 9 USC
No. 5 Penn State Nittany Lions and No. 9 University of Southern California Trojans have won berths in the 2017 Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual in Pasadena, Calif., and their first stop along the way is a traditional visit to the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim on Tuesday, Dec. 27.
The teams will play in the 103rd Rose Bowl Game on Monday, January 2, 2017. Penn State is the Big Ten Conference Champion while USC won their Rose Bowl Game berth after finishing the regular season with an eight-game winning streak. The teams visit to Cars Land in Disney California Adventure Park at 2 p.m., will be their first official pre-game appearance, as well as their only joint appearance of bowl week.
USC head coach Clay Helton and Penn State head coach James Franklin will be welcomed to Disney California Adventure by Lightning McQueen and friends, along with Disneyland Resort Vice President Patrick Finnegan. Featured USC players scheduled for the event are offensive tackle Zach Banner, quarterback Sam Darnold, defensive back Adoree’ Jackson and wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster. Among the Penn State players expected in Cars Land are linebacker Koa Farmer, wide receiver Chris Godwin, defensive end Garrett Sickels, and center Brian Gaia.
After the teams have been introduced, they will enjoy two attractions in Cars Land, joining in a celebratory “dance” aboard micro-cars at Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters and zooming through the desert landscape of Ornament Valley at Radiator Springs Racers.
The 103rd Rose Bowl Game will be the third time that Penn State has faced USC in a Rose Bowl Game. The two teams met in the ninth Rose Bowl Game in 1923, when the Trojans won, 14-3, and in the 2009 Rose Bowl Game, where USC defeated Penn State, 38-24.