The Nittany Lion Club is the philanthropic arm of Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics. Our goal is to provide elite resources and transformational experiences for our 850+ student-athletes to excel in competition and in the classroom. The Nittany Lion Club is made up of the Annual Fund, Major Gifts, Varsity ‘S’ and the Letterman’s Club.

Penn State Athletics is one of only a small number of programs throughout the country that remains self-sustaining. Intercollegiate Athletics does not receive any state or University funding for annual operating expenses.

As of 2023, there are 23,000+ Nittany Lion Club members.

Any Penn State fan can make an impact with a gift to the Nittany Lion Club. To see a complete list of ways to support, please visit the “Ways to Give” tab.

To become a member of the Nittany Lion Club, a minimum tax-deductible donation of $100 is required to begin your membership. Through your donations, you will accrue points ($50 = 1 point) and you will start receiving ticketing and parking benefits based on your giving level.

Visit our online giving page at raise.psu.edu

Call 1-800-NITTANY

Send a check made payable to Penn State University to the Nittany Lion Club, 147 Bryce Jordan Center, University Park, PA 16802

Intercollegiate Athletics at Penn State receives no state support, University funding, or student fees for annual operating expenses. Your gifts to the Nittany Lion Club go directly toward supporting our student-athletes and all 31 varsity programs.

Contributions to the Nittany Lion Club support all student-athlete expenses, including academic, medical, and operational support. Your generosity ensures that our tradition of academic and athletic excellence can continue to mold the leaders of tomorrow. Additionally, through your tax-deductible donation, you are eligible to receive ticket and parking benefits based on your giving level.

Benefits are awarded to members based on respective giving levels. Each giving level provides different benefit options for members to take advantage of. Ticketing and parking benefits are determined based on the amount donated on an annual basis. Click Here to learn more! 

Charitable gifts to the Levi Lamb Fund, facility and capital projects, sport specific giving, and parking contributions minus any benefits received are considered 100% tax-deductible. These include any gifts to the University that are not required for seating. For any tax matter, please consult your tax professional.

Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics is self-sustaining, receiving no state or University funding. The support of the program through NLC contributions enables our Nittany Lions to compete at the highest level on the field and in the classroom for championships on a national level. The demand for benefits such as tickets and parking passes creates the need for a system through which these benefits can be fairly distributed based on NLC contributions and priority points.

Due to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that went into effect on January 1, 2018, any season ticket purchases are no-longer tax-deductible.

The best way to increase your priority point standing is to increase your donation level to the Levi Lamb Fund. With a higher donation amount, you will accrue more points ($50 = 1 point). With each donation given, you will continue to build on to your current point total standing.

The seat selection process takes place in early spring. Based on availability, NLC members will have a chance to upgrade or relocate their seats and parking using Virtual Venue. Communication regarding upgrading tickets or parking will come from PSU Athletics.