Nov. 9, 2017
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.– The No. 14 Penn State football team hosts Rutgers Saturday in a Big Ten East Division clash. The Nittany Lions will be celebrating their 98th Homecoming contest and Military Appreciation Day game in Beaver Stadium.
The Penn State Military Appreciation Week contest featuring seats for Servicemembers will kick at noon and air on BTN, the Penn State Sports Radio Network (10:30 a.m. airtime) and GoPSUsports.com. The 2017 Penn State football season is presented by PSECU.
Penn State will honor the men and women who have bravely served our country during Military Appreciation Day activities. ROTC elite, active duty, Wounded Warriors, and veterans will be honored with special recognitions during the game. Nittany Lion fans have purchased more than 7,500 tickets to be donated to military members and their families through the "Seats for Servicemembers" program. The Penn State Blue Band will have a military-themed halftime performance and there will be a World War II recognition.
F/A-18 Super Hornets are scheduled to conduct a flyover during the pre-game festivities. Two of the pilots are Penn State graduates, Lt. Nate Shuey and Lt. Mike Webb.
The honorary captain for the Rutgers game is Jim Harding, a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel, who played football for the Nittany Lions in the 1950's. Harding, originally from Brookville, Pennsylvania, earned three Silver Stars and four Purple Hearts during his distinguished military career.
The Alumni Blue Band will be featured as they join the Penn State Blue Band performance at halftime. The Homecoming court will parade onto the field and the King and Queen will be announced during halftime.
The Rutgers game also is Varsity "S" Day and former Penn State letterwinners will be gathering for a pre-game function.
The Bryce Jordan Center will be closed to the public on Saturday.
Men's and Women's Basketball Openers, Women's Soccer NCAA Match and Homecoming Parade on Friday
The annual Homecoming Parade will be held on campus and downtown State College on Friday, starting at 6 p.m. in front of the IM Building on Curtin Road.
Friday's schedule also includes the men's and women's basketball season openers in the Bryce Jordan Center, with the men playing Campbell at 4 p.m. and the women playing Siena at 7 p.m. Fans who attend the men's basketball game will have the option to watch the parade at 6 p.m. and return for the Lady Lions' game by showing their men's game ticket at Gate B. Fans with a ticket to the Lady Lions' game also can attend the men's game.
Also on Friday, the No. 3 seeded women's soccer team will play an NCAA Tournament first round match vs. Stony Brook, starting at 7:30 p.m. on Jeffrey Field. On Saturday, the No. 1 ranked women's volleyball team will host Maryland at 7 p.m. in Rec Hall.
Fans Encouraged to Arrive Early to Assist Traffic and Parking at Nine Weekend Events
Penn State fans planning to attend any of the nine home events during Homecoming Weekend are encouraged to arrive on campus earlier than normal in order to assist traffic flow and parking. For more information, go here
On game day, fans are reminded to please display their parking permit from their rear view mirror and to approach their parking lot as directed on the back of their parking permit. Cars are sorted in traffic by Stadium Traffic Control to lanes leading to appropriate lots.
Penn State continues to encourage fans to arrive early to Beaver Stadium and is offering several season long incentives for early arriving fans (see below).
Before leaving home, fans should check their tickets to be sure the barcode and seat location is attached. Prior to last month's Michigan game, Penn State Athletics advised fans to be on the lookout for counterfeit tickets: gopsu.info/2x3kZHs
Stadium Parking Lots Open at 7 a.m.; Fans Can Enter Stadium Gates B-F at 10 a.m.
Penn State Athletics is reminding patrons that Beaver Stadium gates will open two hours before kickoff for all games (10 a.m. for the Rutgers game) and strongly encourages fans to arrive early to Beaver Stadium. Early arriving fans will have an opportunity to receive up to a 20 percent discount at the concession stands during the first 45 minutes after the gates are open, along with other incentives (see below).
The Beaver Stadium parking lots will open Saturday at 7 a.m., Fan Fest on Curtin Road begins at 8:30 a.m. and the Beaver Stadium ticket office, near Gate E, opens at 8 a.m. The team arrival presented by Lion Country Lodging is scheduled for approximately 9:30 a.m. and the stadium gates will open at 10 a.m., including the students' Gate A.
During the team arrival, the Nittany Lions' eight team captains will be handing out footballs signed by the captains and head coach James Franklin to eight fans lined up on Curtin Road.
Fans are reminded that they may enter Beaver Stadium at any of Gates B, C, D, E and F and use the ground level concourse to get to their seating section. During games earlier this season, fans who entered at Gates D, F and C (in order) have seen reduced wait times during the two hours the gates were open before kickoff, while fans who entered at Gates B and E experienced heavier volume and longer waits. ADA patrons should enter the facility at the ADA Gate near Gate B on the west side of the stadium.
Early Arriving Fans Able to Receive Concessions Discounts and Meet the Nittany Lion, Cheer and Dance Team members
Early arriving fans every Saturday will have an opportunity to receive discounts at the concession stands and watch other college football games on the stadium videoboards. Beaver Stadium gates open this Saturday at 10 a.m.
Some of the incentives Penn State Athletics has implemented to encourage fans to enter the stadium early will be available on Saturday:
- Fans will receive up to a 20 percent concessions discount ($1 off a $5 purchase, $2 off a $10 purchase etc.) during the first 45 minutes after the gates are open. Creamery ice cream, Kono Pizza cones and Middleswarth potato chips are available at stadium concessions locations this season for the first time. Cash, credit card and LionCash purchases are accepted at the concourse concession stands.
- With the noon kick, highlights of previous Penn State games will be shown on the videoboards.
- The Big Ten Championship trophy will be on display on the Pepsi Fan Zone (Above Gate A) when the stadium gates open until 30 minutes before kickoff for the Michigan game. Fans are then encouraged to find their seats in time for kickoff.
- Fans also can meet the Nittany Lion and members of the Penn State Dance and Cheer team in the Pepsi Fan Zone during the first 45 minutes after the stadium gates open.
The complete 2017 football promotions and game themes schedule is available here.
Fans reminded of Security Screening and Penn State Athletics Bag Policy
Penn State will provide security screening for all guests at the entry gates using metal detection wands. With this security measure in place, all public gates, including the ADA and student gates, will open two hours prior to kick off to provide ample time for all fans to pass through security. Fans will be asked to remove items from their pockets upon entering the stadium.
Backpacks, bags, and purses are not permitted in Beaver Stadium. Personal items can be placed in a clear bag that is no larger than 11" x 11" (one gallon) and wristlets (no larger than 4" x 6" x 1"). Patrons can expedite the entry process by not bringing a bag into Beaver Stadium. For fans with medical or childcare needs, please place those items in an 11" x 11" clear bag or a one gallon clear bag prior to arriving at the stadium gates. All items are subject to inspection. Any items left unattended at the gates will be discarded and unrecoverable.
For parking maps, the bag policy and a complete list of items prohibited from entry into Beaver Stadium, fans should go to Penn State Football Game Day Central: GoPSUsports.com/gameday
Fans Encouraged to Participate in Game Day Recycling Initiatives
Fans are encouraged to be environmentally responsible and participate in Penn State's recycling and sustainability efforts by separating recyclable items before, during and after the game. Blue recycling bags and clear trash bags are located throughout the Beaver Stadium parking lots, including the entrance to most lots.
Only recyclable items should be placed in the blue bags – plastic bottles, glass bottles and metal cans. All other items should be placed in the clear trash bags. Bags should be securely closed and left where fans parked and they will be picked up after the lots close: gopsu.info/2gt3Unk
Customer Relations staff available Saturday at 7 a.m. at 1-800-NITTANY
The Penn State Customer Relations Service Center (1-800-NITTANY) will be open on Saturday from 7 a.m. until one hour after the game. There also are two Guest Services booths located on Park Avenue at the intersections with Fox Hollow Road and University Drive that will open at 9 a.m.
Inside Beaver Stadium, guest services booths are located at Gates B, C, E and F on the field level. There also is a guest services booth on the North concourse, two on the South concourse and one in the North upper deck.
Fan assistance also is provided by the customer relations staff, by texting the word "Nittany" their issue and location to the phone number 69050, or by calling 1-800-NITTANY.
Changes on U.S. 322 Southeast of State College to Impact Football Traffic
Penn State football fans traveling to Beaver Stadium via U.S. Route 322 from south-central Pennsylvania are advised to allow for extra travel time due to ongoing road construction in the area of Seven Mountains and Potters Mill Gap.
According to PennDOT, crews were scheduled this week to remove the crossover in the construction zone—resulting in separated, single lane traffic patterns in each direction (east and west). This change will eliminate eastbound traffic needing to crossover to use the westbound passing lane. The construction zone stretches eastbound and westbound from the Mifflin County line to Decker Valley Road in Centre County.
With a single lane available each direction, motorists heading to the Rutgers game should allow for extra travel time.
For additional information about the construction and travel restrictions, visit www.penndot.gov. Motorists can stay up-to-date on the latest travel conditions by visiting www.511PA.com.
RV Parking Sold Out; RV Spaces and Weekend Shuttle Available at Grange Park
Penn State Athletics is working with Grange Park, site of the Grange Fair, to provide an economical alternative with 1,500 RV spaces, hook-ups and shuttle service to campus on Friday and Saturday of home football weekends.
In June, Penn State announced that all game day and season RV and Overnight RV is sold out for the 2017 season. Fans who do not have a RV parking permit will need to make other arrangements and Penn State Athletics has identified Grange Park as an economical alternative with hook-ups and shuttle service to campus on Friday and Saturday of home football weekends.
For the Rutgers game, the Friday shuttle will depart Grange Park for downtown State College at 5, 6 and 7 p.m. The return shuttle Friday from downtown to Grange Park will depart at 8, 10 and 11:59 p.m.
Fans who have not already purchased an RV parking permit should not attempt to park in the official lots near Beaver Stadium. Those fans will be asked to turn around by police and traffic personnel, which will disrupt the flow of traffic heading to Beaver Stadium.
Fans interested in parking their RV at Grange Park can reserve a spot by calling 814-364-9212.
Advance Car Parking Available Until 6 p.m. Friday at Jordan Center Ticket Office
General car parking in the Beaver Stadium lots purchased in advance is $20 per car (plus $2.25 handling fee), while paying to park on game day when arriving at the general lots will cost $40. Fans are encouraged to purchase parking passes in advance to not only realize the savings, but to assist in smoother traffic and parking operations by displaying the pass as they approach roads to stadium parking. Fans can purchase up to three advance single game parking passes per account, per game.
Car parking can be purchased in advance by calling 1-800-NITTANY (weekdays, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.) or purchased at the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office (weekdays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.). Advance car parking can be purchased for the Rutgers game until Friday at 8 p.m. in the BJC ticket office, due the Lady Lions game starting at 7 p.m. The deadline to purchase car parking to be sent via overnight shipping is four days prior to the game.
Fans are asked to please display their parking permit from their rear view mirror as they enter the traffic pattern. Cars are sorted in traffic by Stadium Traffic Control to lanes leading to appropriate lots. Patrons should approach their parking lot as directed on the back of their parking permit.
For more information on tickets, parking or other questions, fans should call 1-800-NITTANY, which also will be open this Saturday at 7 a.m. until one hour after the game ends. Fans can also send an email to Golions@psu.edu.
Fans can engage with Penn State Athletics via the Nittany Lions' social media accounts at: GoPSUsports.com/ot/socialmedia.html.