UNIVERSITY PARK — Penn State football fans may need to set their alarm clocks earlier than usual Tuesday morning.

The Goon Show radio program is holding a rally at 6 a.m. in the Holuba Hall parking lot to show support for the Penn State football players who decided to stay at the university amid the NCAA sanctions.

Producer John Schaffer said the idea for “Rise and Rally” came while host Keith Conlin was on the air with Craig Fitzgerald, the team’s director of strength and conditioning, and secondary coach John Butler.

“There’s a lot of pressure being put on these players to leave,” Schaffer said. 

“It’s crucial that the community that relies on Penn State football shows support for players and coaches in a very difficult time.”

The recent NCAA sanctions against Penn State include a provision that players may transfer to other schools and be eligible to play right away.

The rally, sposored by Nittany Bank and Old State Clothing Co., will feature coffee and doughnuts provided by Dunkin’ Donuts and T-shirt giveaways by Nittany Strong, along with other prizes. 

Schaffer said he would like to see 500 to 1,000 people attend, with a goal of “standing room-only in the entire parking lot.”

The players’ workout begins at 7 a.m., but Schaffer said team members will start to arrive around 6 a.m. so he is urging people to get there early to show support.

Nittany Bank President Dave Richards said he is excited to support the Penn State football team and the players.

“Despite everything that goes on, I think one of the things we can get behind is the players who commit to staying,” Richards said.

Matt Morgan can be reached at 235-3928. Follow him on Twitter @MetroMattMorgan