The scandal has rocked the sprawling campus of about 45,000 students in State College in central Pennsylvania, the flagship of about two dozen Penn State campuses across the state.

Hundreds of emotional, chanting, but mostly peaceful students converged on the university administration building late on Wednesday to protest the firing of Paterno.

The firing also stunned "Paternoville," the tent city that sprouts outside the football stadium before every home game, when students camp out to be first in line for good seats.

"Everything is calm at Beaver Stadium -- just a lot of emotions. We do not agree with any irrational decisions made downtown. Safe up here," said a Paternoville tweet.

College football is hugely popular in the United States, drawing massive television audiences every Saturday in the late summer and fall and filling huge stadiums. Beaver Stadium, which seats about 106,000, is one of the largest.

Teams generate million of dollars in reve