Penn State Nittany Lions Football Tickets

Penn State football in brief: Happy Valley's century-old program

The Penn State Nittany Lions play home football games at Beaver Stadium on the Penn State campus in University Park, with an official capacity of 106,572, which makes it the second-largest stadium in the Western Hemisphere. Since 2025 it has carried the naming-rights title West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium. Home games fall on fall Saturdays from late August or early September through late November.

Penn State fielded its first team in 1887 and played as an independent for a century before beginning Big Ten play in 1993. It claims two national championships (1982 and 1986), has won the Big Ten four times (1994, 2005, 2008 and 2016) and ranks among the top programs in all-time wins. Joe Paterno coached the team for 46 seasons (1966–2011) and finished with 409 wins, the most in major college football; his tenure ended in 2011 amid the Jerry Sandusky abuse scandal and the sanctions that followed.

The program's identity is old-school: plain blue-and-white uniforms with no names on the jerseys, a reputation as "Linebacker U" for producing star linebackers, and a crowd that ranks with any in the sport. The 2024 season brought Penn State's first Big Ten title game appearance since 2016 and a run to the College Football Playoff semifinals.

Where to sit at Beaver Stadium

Beaver Stadium is a fully enclosed bowl built in stages, from the original steel grandstands moved to the site in 1960 to the north upper deck (1991) and the south upper deck (2001). The field is natural grass and runs northwest to southeast, so the two sidelines face roughly east and west.

A stadium in transition

Penn State is in the middle of a multi-year revitalization approved in 2024 and scheduled to be finished before the 2027 season. The old west-side press box was demolished in January 2025, and new west club seating is part of the rebuilt stadium. During construction, seat maps, entrances and amenities can change from one season to the next, so confirm the section and level on any listing against the current seating map before you buy.

Sideline vs. end zone

Sideline seats between the 30-yard lines are the best views, and the middle rows of the lower bowl beat the front rows, where benches and sideline traffic block the near side of the field. Upper-deck seats are steep and far from the field, but they are the least expensive way into a big game and give a full view of the White Out. Seats behind the end zones see scoring plays up close but flatten the far end of the field.

Sun and cold

On an afternoon kickoff the sun moves into the western sky, so the west sideline has it at its back and the east sideline faces it late in the game. Central Pennsylvania turns cold in November, and Beaver Stadium sits at about 1,150 feet of elevation; night games late in the season call for layers, gloves and a blanket.

The student section

The student section includes the S-Zone, a block of fans in blue and white shirts that forms a giant S behind the end zone. Student seating is first-come, first-served, which is why students camp outside the stadium before big games.

White Out games, rivalries and the toughest Penn State tickets

The single biggest driver of demand is the White Out, when the entire stadium dresses in white for one marquee night game. The tradition began with the student section in 2004 and became a full-stadium event in the following years; from 2012 to 2019 the White Out opponent was always Ohio State or Michigan.

• Ohio State: an annual Big Ten game since 1993 and usually the biggest home date. The Beaver Stadium record crowd of 111,030 came for the Ohio State game on November 2, 2024, and Penn State's 2016 White Out upset of No. 2 Ohio State is one of the stadium's defining nights.
• Michigan: a Big Ten series that has often decided the conference race.
• Michigan State and Minnesota: Penn State plays for the Land Grant Trophy against Michigan State and the Governor's Victory Bell against Minnesota.
• Pitt and other old Eastern rivals: the in-state Pitt series, played 100 times, and games with Syracuse and West Virginia are now occasional non-conference matchups that draw heavy demand when they appear.

Penn State has even trademarked the word "Unrivaled" for a program that spent most of its history without a conference rival. Early-season games against smaller programs are the easiest and least expensive way into Beaver Stadium.

We Are, Zombie Nation and gameday in Happy Valley

• "We are" / "Penn State": the call-and-response chant passes from one side of the stadium to the other, usually followed by "Thank you" and "You're welcome."
• Zombie Nation: since 2004, "Kernkraft 400" plays after big plays and the whole stadium bounces in unison.
• The Blue Band flip: the drum major sprints to midfield and does a front flip during the pregame show. Legend says a landed flip means a Penn State win.
• Nittanyville: students camp outside Gate A during home-game weeks to get the best student seats, starting on Monday before a White Out.
• The tunnel entrance: the team waits behind a metal gate reading "PENN STATE" until the Nittany Lion mascot swings it open, then runs out through a tunnel formed by the Blue Band.

Tailgating and getting there

Tailgating in the fields and lots around Beaver Stadium is a full-day event for more than 100,000 people, and as of 2022 alcohol is permitted around the stadium and sold inside on football Saturdays. Traffic on the roads into State College backs up on game days, so arrive early, plan your parking in advance through Penn State Athletics and check the Penn State gameday page for current lots and traffic plans. A stop at the Berkey Creamery for ice cream is part of many fans' routine.

How Penn State football tickets work

Penn State sells football season tickets first, and its ticket office has taken 2026 season-ticket deposits and is selling new club seating for the revitalized stadium, which opens with the 2027 season. Students buy student season tickets in a separate sale that has historically sold out fast (in 2007, more than 22,000 student tickets sold out in 59 minutes), and Penn State runs a verified student ticket resale marketplace. Tickets are mobile.

Beaver Stadium's size means single-game tickets are usually available for early non-conference games. That changes for the White Out, Ohio State, Michigan and any top-ranked opponent, when season-ticket holders and students absorb nearly the whole stadium and the resale market becomes the main way in. White Out prices tend to rise once the opponent and kickoff time are announced and the matchup's stakes become clear. Every GoodSeats order includes guaranteed entry.

Beaver Stadium bag policy and entry

As of the 2026 season, Penn State's university bag policy allows clear plastic, vinyl or PVC bags no larger than 12 by 6 by 12 inches. Loose items allowed include a wristlet up to 4 by 6 by 1 inches, a roll-up seat cushion without pockets, and a camera without a case or extra lenses. Check the Penn State bag policy page before you go.

• Strollers: not permitted at Beaver Stadium, though they are allowed at other Penn State venues. Babies can come in a soft carrier or sling, and every child, babies included, needs a ticket.
• Screening: every fan goes through metal detection or bag inspection, and fans without bags can skip the bag-check lines at most gates.
• Construction: while the revitalization is under way, gates and concourse routes may differ from past seasons.

Sources

• Wikipedia – Penn State Nittany Lions football
• Wikipedia – Beaver Stadium
• Penn State Athletics – West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium
• Penn State Athletics – University Bag Policy
• Penn State Athletics – Ticket Central
• Penn State Athletics – Football Game Day