Upcoming Penn State Nittany Lions Football dates
Dates and live ticket listings appear here as soon as they are on sale. The guide below covers what to know before you buy.
Beaver Stadium seat strategy in brief
For a Penn State home game, the safest strong seat is a sideline seat between the 30-yard lines halfway up the lower bowl, on the west side for a day game. Beaver Stadium, on campus in University Park, Pennsylvania, is rated for 106,572 fans, a figure topped by just one stadium in the Western Hemisphere. Home Saturdays begin at the end of summer and wrap up in late November.
If budget comes first, the upper decks are the way in for big games, and they give you the full sweep of a White Out. Because construction is still under way, compare every listing with Penn State's latest map.
Seating during the Beaver Stadium rebuild
Penn State approved a multi-year revitalization in 2024, with completion targeted ahead of the 2027 season. Crews demolished the west-side press box in January 2025, and the finished west side will add new club seats. A 2025 sponsorship deal also renamed the venue West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium.
What this means for buyers: section numbers, gates, concourse routes and amenities can change year to year. Before you reserve a seat, check the section and level on your listing against Penn State's current map, and allow extra time to find your entrance on game day.
West side, east side and the upper decks
The bowl grew in stages: steel grandstands moved to the current site in 1960, a north upper deck in 1991 and a south upper deck in 2001. The grass field is aligned northwest to southeast, which leaves one sideline on the east and one on the west, give or take.
Sun and cold
In an afternoon game, west-side fans have the sun behind them, while east-side fans look into it as the game goes on. The stadium sits at roughly 1,150 feet above sea level in central Pennsylvania, and November night games get cold, so bring gloves, layers and a blanket.
Lower bowl
Middle rows between the 30s give the best view. The first rows are close but low; players, staff and cameras along the bench hide the near hash marks.
Upper decks
A long climb and a distant view, yet the cheapest route into a major game, and the best place to see the stadium turn white.
End zones and students
End-zone seats suit goal-line drama and make the opposite end hard to judge. Behind one end zone, students wearing blue or white shirts arrange themselves into a huge S, a display called the S-Zone. Because students claim seats in order of arrival, tents appear outside the gates days before major games.
White Out nights and the Penn State games that sell out
Nothing moves demand at Beaver Stadium like the White Out, a single marquee night game each season when the entire crowd wears white. Students began it in 2004, and within a few seasons the full crowd had joined. Between 2012 and 2019 the opponent was always one of two schools, the Buckeyes or the Wolverines.
- Ohio State: an annual opponent from 1993 on and normally the year's hottest ticket. The Buckeyes drew 111,030, a stadium record, on November 2, 2024, and Penn State's White Out win over a second-ranked Ohio State team in 2016 remains a signature night.
- Michigan: a matchup that has often shaped the Big Ten race.
- Trophy games: Michigan State plays Penn State for the Land Grant Trophy, and Minnesota for the Governor's Victory Bell.
- Old Eastern rivals: Pitt, a series played 100 times, plus Syracuse and West Virginia, appear only occasionally now and draw heavily when they do.
As a longtime independent with no natural league rival, the school even trademarked the word Unrivaled in 2015. For the widest choice of seats at the gentlest prices, look at September games against lesser-known schools.
Chants, flips and Nittanyville
- We Are: one side of the stadium shouts We are, the other answers Penn State, and the exchange often ends with Thank you and You're welcome.
- Zombie Nation: Kernkraft 400 has blasted after big plays since 2004 while all 100,000-plus fans bounce together.
- The drum major's flip: during the Blue Band's pregame show, the drum major runs to midfield and attempts a front flip. Fans say a clean landing means a win.
- The tunnel run: players stand behind a metal gate spelling out PENN STATE; the Nittany Lion swings it open, then runs out between two lines of band members.
- Nittanyville: students camp by Gate A in the week before home games to claim prime student seats, beginning on Monday ahead of a White Out.
Tailgates, traffic and the clear-bag rules
Tailgates take over the grass fields and parking areas surrounding the stadium from morning on. Since 2022, drinking is allowed outside the stadium and beer is sold inside on game days. Roads into State College back up on game days, so plan your parking with Penn State Athletics ahead of time, arrive early and review the Penn State gameday hub for this season's lots and traffic routing. Many fans finish the day with ice cream at the Berkey Creamery.
The 2026 policy permits a transparent bag (plastic, vinyl or PVC) measuring no more than 12 by 6 by 12 inches. Small extras are allowed too: a wristlet of 4 by 6 by 1 inches or less, a roll-up seat cushion with no pockets, and a camera carried without its case or spare lenses. Strollers are not allowed at Beaver Stadium, though soft carriers and slings are, and every child, including infants, needs a ticket. Security screens everyone with metal detectors or a bag search, and at most gates fans carrying nothing get a faster lane. Read the university bag policy before you go.
Season tickets, students and resale for Penn State
Season tickets come first. The athletics office has collected deposits for 2026 season seats and is marketing new club seats in the renovated stadium, due to open fully for 2027. Students have their own season-ticket sale, and it moves quickly: in 2007, upward of 22,000 student tickets were gone within 59 minutes. Penn State also runs a verified resale marketplace for student tickets, and all tickets are mobile.
In a stadium this large, early non-conference games usually have single-game seats available. Marquee dates are another matter. For the Buckeyes, the Wolverines, a top-ranked visitor or the White Out, season holders and students occupy nearly the whole bowl, and most fans buy on resale. Expect White Out listings to climb after the matchup and the kickoff slot are confirmed. Every Reserved Seat order carries guaranteed entry.
Linebacker U and the long Paterno era
The first Penn State team took the field in 1887, and the program remained independent for roughly 100 years until Big Ten play started in 1993. Its claimed national championships came in 1982 and 1986, its Big Ten titles in 1994, 2005, 2008 and 2016, and its all-time victory total is among the highest in the sport. Joe Paterno led the team for 46 seasons, from 1966 through 2011, and finished with 409 wins, a major college record. His tenure ended in 2011 in the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky scandal, which also brought NCAA sanctions.
The program cultivates a traditional image: plain blue-and-white uniforms without names on the jerseys and the nickname Linebacker U for its long line of star linebackers. In 2024 the Nittany Lions returned to the Big Ten title game for the first time since 2016 and reached the College Football Playoff semifinals.
Frequently asked questions
Which side of Beaver Stadium is better for an afternoon game?
The west sideline. During a day game the sun drops toward the west, so fans on that side have it behind them and east-side fans face it.
Are Beaver Stadium upper-deck seats worth it?
For big games, often yes. They sit high and far back, yet they cost less and show the full White Out.
Will construction affect my seat at Beaver Stadium?
It can. The revitalization runs until the 2027 season, so check your section and gate against Penn State's current map before you buy and before you go.
What is the S-Zone?
Part of the student section: students in blue and white shirts who form a large S behind an end zone as part of the student section.
Can I bring a stroller to a Penn State game?
No. Strollers are not permitted at Beaver Stadium, but soft carriers and slings are, and every child needs a ticket.
How many people does Beaver Stadium hold?
The official figure is 106,572. Its biggest crowd, 111,030, watched the Buckeyes visit in November 2024.