THON Weekend 2026 is here, and one of the best parts is learning the line dance. Last year, the Dancer Relations captains brought the BOOM, lighting up the Bryce Jordan Center for all 46 hours.
Whether you’re learning the line dance from home, somewhere else around the country or are looking for a deeper insight into some of this year’s lyrics, here’s a breakdown of some of the best references.
“Susan Welch, what was that?”
After the Susan Welch building incident happened in November, it was clear this was going to be mentioned in the THON 2026 line dance. At the end of the day, I’m not sure any of us know exactly what happened that fateful day. All I know is that one of my classes got moved to the Chambers Building.
“Blast old taylor, let’s all sing”
On May 30, 2025, Taylor Swift regained ownership of the first six albums she released: “Taylor Swift” (also known as “Debut”), “Fearless,” “Speak Now,” “Red,” “1989” and “Reputation.” Fans of Swift were once again free to stream all of her old albums, and could choose to stream the rerecorded versions if they preferred.
Either way, that day was a day to celebrate and sing along to all of your favorite songs.
“Terry smith, we thank you”
Terry Smith’s time as the interim head coach for Penn State football was one to remember. While Smith ultimately didn’t receive the job (which instead went to former Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell), his time as the head coach and Penn State’s big win over Clemson in the Pinstripe Bowl will always be remembered fondly.
“Vatican, Leo’s home”
One of the biggest topics in media throughout the world in 2025 had to be the Vatican selecting a new pope. White smoke filled the air until May 8, when black smoke indicated Pope Leo XIV was the latest pope to be elected.
“Swoosh is out, stripes are in”
After this school year, Penn State is moving to Adidas products from Nike. While this move is definitely bringing in conflicting opinions, at least Nike merch will be on sale at the end of this year!
“Conrad endgame save the date”
There was no way “The Summer I Turned Pretty” wouldn’t be mentioned in the line dance. Conrad Fisher stole the hearts of all viewers in the last season of the show and is sure to do it again when the movie finally comes out.
“When’s the Power coming back?”
Perhaps the most traumatizing event for Penn State students last school year was the power going out after a bad storm. Losing power in my apartment for over 24 hours was one of my least favorite college memories. Showering with only lantern light isn’t peaceful for anyone.
“mirrorballs to the zoo”
“Dancing With the Stars” might be one of the most hyped shows, both in real life and on social media. This year, the show set another record for voting totals, with conservationist Robert Irwin taking home the Mirrorball trophy. This marked the second trophy that the Irwin family brought back “to the zoo” after Robert’s sister, Bindi Irwin, brought home the trophy in 2015.
“Hold on, watch out chicken jockey
If you didn’t make the trek to the theater to see the “Minecraft” movie last spring, the chicken jockey scene became a meme almost instantly. Viewers threw popcorn and screamed “chicken jockey” loudly in the theater. Unfortunately, my sweatshirt still has the butter stains to prove this phenomenon.
“What’s not clocking, 6 or 7”
This one doesn’t need any explanation. “6-7” was easily the saying of the year, and might be the line to get the crowd as electric as “We Bring the Boom” did last year.
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THON Weekend 2026 is just getting started, and this line dance is guaranteed to keep the crowd on their feet all weekend long.