Penn State University is home to one of the most rabid fan bases in college football, with over 107,000 fans packing Beaver Stadium for home games. Nittany Lions football is a huge part of student life at Penn State, but how much do students really pay for football tickets?
Student Football Ticket Prices at Penn State
Penn State students can purchase season tickets for Nittany Lions home games each year. For the 2022 season, student season ticket prices are:
- $276 for the 7 home games
- $39 per individual game
These prices are significantly lower than non-student season tickets. For comparison, the least expensive adult season tickets for 2022 cost $429 per seat.
Student season tickets at Penn State have increased slightly in price over the past few years. Here are the student season ticket costs over the past five seasons:
Season | Student Season Ticket Price |
---|---|
2018 | $252 |
2019 | $264 |
2020 | $264* |
2021 | $264 |
2022 | $276 |
*In 2020, only family & friends of players could attend games due to COVID-19 restrictions. Tickets were not sold to the general public.
Even with the price increases, Penn State student tickets remain a great deal compared to the cost of regular tickets. Students get access to all home games at a big discount.
How Penn State Student Ticket Prices Compare
Compared to other Big Ten schools, Penn State has some of the most affordable student football tickets:
School | Student Season Ticket Price (2022) |
---|---|
Penn State | $276 |
Michigan | $295 |
Ohio State | $342 |
Michigan State | $150 |
Wisconsin | $175 |
Of the major Big Ten programs, only Michigan State offers student season tickets for less than Penn State. Other football powers like Ohio State charge $342 for student tickets, well above Penn State’s prices.
For comparison, here are student season ticket prices at other major programs outside the Big Ten:
School | Student Season Ticket Price (2022) |
---|---|
Alabama | $10 |
Texas A&M | $285 |
Oklahoma | $125 |
Texas | $175 |
Alabama has unbelievably cheap student tickets at just $10 for the season. Most other schools are in line with or slightly above Penn State’s prices.
Getting Individual Game Tickets
While season tickets are the best deal, individual game tickets can also be a good option for Penn State students.
If season tickets sell out, students can try to get single game seats. These are sold for marquee matchups like Ohio State, Michigan, and other big games.
For 2022, individual student game tickets cost $39 each. They can be purchased through Penn State’s online student ticket portal.
There is no guarantee individual game seats will be available for the biggest games. But they offer flexibility for students who can’t commit to a full season of tickets.
How Students Get Their Tickets
Penn State students purchase football tickets through their online student account. The process is:
- Log into student account online
- Go to Student Ticket section
- Select football season tickets or individual games
- Enter payment information
- Tickets distributed electronically to student’s account
Tickets are mobile only – students access them on their smartphones via their online accounts. Printed paper tickets are not used.
Distribution of student tickets is prioritized based on class standing. For fairness, seniors get access to purchase first, then juniors, sophomores, and freshmen.
Students must have valid ID to enter Beaver Stadium on gamedays. Their digital ticket is scanned alongside student ID to prevent fraud.
Can Students Resell Their Tickets?
To prevent unauthorized resale, Penn State student tickets are non-transferrable to others. The name on the ticket must match the student ID upon stadium entry.
So students cannot legally resell their season ticket packages to non-students for profit. This ensures affordability is maintained for real students wanting to attend games.
However, unused individual game tickets can be resold by students via Penn State’s internal student ticket exchange. This allows students unable to attend a game to sell to other students at face value.
Why Are Penn State Student Tickets So Cheap?
There are a few key reasons Penn State is able to offer student football tickets at well below normal prices:
- Keeps Beaver Stadium full with loud, energetic fans
- Rewards student body with affordable entertainment
- Covers less desirable endzone seats unlikely to sell at full price
- Hook students as future ticket holders after graduating
Penn State likely takes a loss on every student ticket sold. But the benefits outweigh the costs.
Full student sections create an electric gameday environment that intimdates opponents. Happy students lead to even stronger fandom down the road.
The student ticket discounts lock in Gen Z fans for life. After graduation, students fondly remember their college game experiences and become ticket holders and donors as alumni.
Should Non-Students Buy Student Tickets?
To take advantage of the student ticket discount, some non-students consider trying to purchase them fraudulently. This is unethical and illegal.
Student tickets require an authorized student ID upon stadium entry. Anyone caught using another student’s ID would be subject to ejection, fines, and criminal charges.
The student ticketing system is carefully controlled by Penn State to prevent abuse. Save yourself the trouble and pay full price for regular tickets.
Conclusion
Penn State has some of the most affordable student football tickets in major college football. Season tickets cost students only $276 for 2022.
These seats allow students be part of the lively Beaver Stadium atmosphere every Saturday. It engages them in Penn State traditions and builds loyalty.
While Penn State likely subsidizes a portion of student ticket costs, the lifetime benefits outweigh short-term losses. It’s one great perk of being a Nittany Lion.