Penn State Police Warn Nittany Lions Fans About Football Ticket Scams

The Nittany Lions begin the 2025 season Aug. 30 vs. Nevada at Beaver Stadium.

A general view of Penn State football's Beaver Stadium. | Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Penn State Police are warning football fans about a potential rise in ticket scams as the Nittany Lions prepare to begin the 2025 college football season. Second-ranked Penn State takes on the Nevada Wolf Pack at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday at Beaver Stadium.

According to police, Penn State football ticket-buyers are potential targets for online scams, digital fakes and social-media offers that prove too good to be true. Penn State Police said they received 94 reports of ticket scams, the majority of which targeted students, during the Nittany Lions' 2024 season. Police said that students lost money because of these scams.

“As we approach the 2025 college football season, there is ongoing concern over fraudulent online ticket sales,” Wesley Sheets, Penn State associate vice president and chief of police and public safety, said in a statement. “We urge fans to be extremely careful when purchasing event tickets to avoid internet scams.”

Police said that scammers target potential ticket buyers on social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X and GroupMe. They post fake photos of tickets, request payment through online platforms such as Zelle or Venmo and never provide tickets, police said. Sheets said that such payments are more difficult to track than "verified' bank or credit card transactions.

Penn State Police advised fans seeking single-game football teams to purchase them through the athletic department's official site or through Ticketmaster's verified resale site. Students should purchase tickets through the official resale portal.

Penn State Police urged football fans who suspect they have been scammed to report the incident by calling 814-863-1111 or by filing an online report.

Penn State football ticket prices vs. Nevada

Penn State Nittany Lions fans react in the second half against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Nittany Lions open the 2025 season Saturday vs. Nevada at Beaver Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS. Verified resale tickets begin at about $12 for two seats together on the official Ticketmaster site. Prices are similar at online reseller Stubhub, with the lowest-priced seats starting at $14 for two tickets together.

A new traffic site for Penn State fans

Pennsylvania's 511 traffic site has introduced a page specifically for fans driving to State College for Penn State home games. The new 511PA page offers real-time traffic information for a variety of gameday routes.

What to know about Penn State's opener vs. Nevada

Game Day Timeline 1⃣#WeAre | https://t.co/73Ji8d399g pic.twitter.com/i7ZXgOVPK9

— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) August 28, 2025

Penn State will re-introduce Beaver Stadium to fans after the first phase of its $700 million renovation plan has been completed. The venue will feature about 9,500 temporary seats across the stadium, with about 7,900 located on the west side that is under construction.

On the Penn State Coaches Show, Athletic Director Pat Kraft asked fans to "bear with us" during the construction and temporary-seating process but added that the experience should "great" for fans sitting in the temporary seats.

Penn State will introduce a new concessions venue called the Bud Light Backyard Beer Garden, located at Gate F. The venue, which opens three hours before kickoff, will feature drinks, food games and TVs in a "premium double-decker sports bar" open to all fans.