You'll Need a Season Ticket to Attend Penn State Games
Penn State has sold nearly 3,000 new football season-ticket packages since last season, though many are unlikely to attend a game at Beaver Stadium this season.
And those without season tickets? Forget it.
"Probably one of the things I can say with certainty, and there's not much I can say with certainty, but without a season ticket, no matter what our capacity, you're probably not coming to a Penn State game this year," Athletic Director Sandy Barbour said.
As Penn State continues to navigate whether it will play football this fall, next spring or even at all, the athletic department also is deciding how many people will be able to attend the games. Penn State President Eric Barron already has said that colleges expect attendance to be "highly restricted."
Barbour did not attach a projected number to that statement, but it's likely to be well below 50 percent of Beaver Stadium's 106,000-seat capacity. That means single-game tickets are unlikely to be sold.
"I appreciate our fans and their fanaticism for Penn State football, and we hope to be able to reward them with a safe and healthy opportunity to come watch Penn State football next year," Barbour said.
For season-ticket holders, that leaves many questions to be answered. How will Penn State decide who can attend games? And how many games? What happens to the donations required to purchase season tickets?
Further, what will become of the gameday experience? Will fans be allowed to watch team arrival in some form? How will gate operations work? And what about tailgating, the exterior lifeblood of a Beaver Stadium gameday?
All good questions, Barbour said. They're working on it.
"For our fans, I know they’re anxious because many of them want to come [to games]," Barbour said. "... Before we can put out what our seating might look like, we certainly need some guidance from others. ... To be fair, there are going to need to be restrictions on a lot of things.
"... One thing I know about Penn State fans is, they're incredibly passionate. I know for those who can't get into the stadium, they're going to want to tailgate, they're going to want to be there for the team arrival or any traditional Penn State activities. All of that is still to be seen, and still to understand what conditions we will be in when we do start to play."
Also still to be seen: What the secondary market will look like, particularly for popular home games against Ohio State and Michigan State?
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