It will be a different kind of Christmas present in New York for many of those inside Yankee Stadium.
Though Penn State and Clemson will not be moving on to the College Football Playoff, the two are set to finish their season off in the Pinstripe Bowl on Dec. 27, and many of the players will be first-time New York visitors.
It will be a gift of new experiences — celebrating the holiday in the famously feel-good holiday city and playing a bowl game inside the historic stadium.
“I’ve never been, but I’m an O-lineman, I’m excited about seeing all the different food spots,” Clemson offensive lineman Blake Miller said to reporters via Zoom on Wednesday as the Tigers gear up for their first game at Yankee Stadium.
Freshman Rowan Byrne has been the lineman room’s go-to “tour guide” for the upcoming trip, Miller explained, and will know what is and isn’t a great New York slice as a native of Bronxville.
“I’m from Ohio and came down here to South Carolina. Up there in New York is a very different way of life from what I understand,” Miller said. “I’m excited to see things from a different lens and see a different way of life.”
Clemson defensive coordinator Tom Allen has an added layer to his first Pinstripe Bowl as he will be playing his former team, which is undergoing major changes after the firing of James Franklin.
Allen, who served as the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach for the Nittany Lions in 2024, has not been to Yankee Stadium nor been in the city for the holidays.
Similarly, it will be a first for Penn State quarterback Ethan Grunkemeyer, who will be playing under center for the first time with new head coach Matt Campbell — the man behind Brock Purdy at Iowa State.
“I love New York City. I’ve been a couple of times and as a kid, kind of dreamed of living there,” Grunkemeyer said. “I’ve never been to Yankee Stadium. I’m a big stadium guy, I like seeing all the different stadiums. So, that’ll be a cool one to cross off the list.”
With Campbell, Penn State will be playing its second Pinstripe Bowl.
For others, the Empire State isn’t as unfamiliar. Rather, it’s a home.
Senior linebacker Dominic DeLuca has not played inside a baseball stadium before, let alone a game in his favorite stadium as a lifelong Yankees fan.
The West Pittston, Pa., native said the game will be a “true honor,” after years of growing up watching his favorite players — Derek Jeter and CC Sabathia — with his grandfather.
For wideout Trebor Peña, the Pinstripe Bowl will be a familiar holiday vacation. He also took part in the bowl in 2022 with Syracuse, which lost to Minnesota, 28-20, in the snow.
He stayed with the team in Times Square, practiced at Columbia University, and though the Orange didn’t come away with the win, Peña feels like “there is no place like it in the world to be on Christmas.”
“Playing at Yankee Stadium is really cool. It’s a different environment because it’s a baseball field,” he said. “It looks kind of weird but it’s really cool, especially being born in New York and growing up in New Jersey, I’ve been to a few Yankees games growing up.
“So, being able to play on that field is crazy, and it’s something that only you can experience once — or twice — in a lifetime, I guess,” he laughed.
