With a marquee matchup in the national spotlight and an early kickoff, No. 3 Penn State’s game against No. 4 Ohio State on Saturday at Beaver Stadium will generate plenty of activity — and traffic — off the field.
The game is set for a noon kickoff on FOX, with the nation’s premier pregame shows, ESPN’s College GameDay and FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff, both airing from outside the Bryce Jordan Center.
“With the noon start time, expected game attendance, and the presence of Fox Big Noon Kickoff and ESPN’s College GameDay programs near Beaver Stadium, fans are encouraged to arrive early and allow extra time to reach campus on Saturday,” Penn State wrote in a news release this week.
While most of the traffic and parking procedures are the same as typical game days, here’s a look at what to know ahead of the biggest Penn State home game of the season.
PARKING AND GATES
Parking lots will open at 7 a.m. Premium gates open at 9 a.m., Family Friendly gates at 9:30 a.m., and all other public gates at 10 a.m.
Football parking areas — those between Bigler Road and Mount Nittany Medical Center — require a football parking permit valid only in the assigned lot. Day-of-game parking passes are subject to availability.
Additional on-campus parking is available at the five campus parking decks — East, Eisenhower, HUB, Nittany and West — and visitors wishing to park on campus overnight must park at one of those locations. Weekend event rates will be in effect.
East, HUB and Nittany
– Saturday: $2 for the first hour and $1 for the second hour if parked for less than two hours; $40 if more than two hours.
– Regular daily parking: $2 for the first hour and $1 per hour up to the $16 daily maximum applies for all other days.
West
– Saturday: $2 for the first hour and $1 for the second hour if parked for less than two hours; $25 if more than two hours.
– Regular daily parking: $2 for the first hour and $1 per hour up to the $16 daily maximum applies for all other days.
Eisenhower
– Friday through 11:59 p.m on Sunday: $45, payable through HONK zone PSUYF upon entry.
– Saturday Only: $40, payable through HONK zone PSUYF upon entry.
IN STATE COLLEGE
As usual for a home football weekend, the Borough of State College will lift no parking 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. and one- and two-hour restrictions between noon Friday and 2 a.m. Monday. No lawn parking is permitted, and all vehicle code violations will be enforced.
Special event rates of $2.25 per hour will be in effect at borough parking garages, lots and meters.
TRAFFIC
One-way traffic patterns and traffic restrictions will go into effect at 9:30 a.m. Saturday on Park Avenue, Porter Road and other roads near Beaver Stadium. Prepaid parking holders should follow the assigned route for their parking zone.
• Access to the East Parking Deck and Orange faculty/staff parking areas north of Services Road will only be available by traveling eastbound on Park Avenue from Atherton Street. Only permit holders for those areas along with football permit holders with West Zone (traveling east from Atherton Street) and East Zone (traveling west from I-99/322) parking should use Park Avenue.
• Porter Road will be limited to football permit holders with South Zone parking.
• Curtin Road will be closed all day.
• Drivers attempting to access central campus parking areas should travel north on Shortlidge Road or Burrowes Road from College Avenue.
“Traffic on and near campus will be heavy, and unnecessary vehicle travel is discouraged,” the university wrote. Drivers traveling to campus should allow extra time to reach their destination.
LOT CLOSURES
These campus lots will close at midnight Friday night:
- Commuter lots (Jordan East, Stadium West, Porter North, Porter South)
- Orange L (all sections)
- Yellow H (all sections)
- Yellow M
- Yellow V
- Orange A OPP (east and west)
- Orange A Katz
- Orange A HFS (Section along Services Road)
- Orange H (all sections north of Hastings Road)
- Orange O (ICA Service Center/Meats Lab)
- Half of Orange U
- Silver G
- Silver J (all sections)
Access to those lots will reopen after outbound football traffic has ended.
Faculty/staff parking permits are honored at all faculty/staff parking lots located west of Bigler Road on football gamedays. Student parking permits are honored at all areas located west of Bigler Road that normally allow student parking on weekends.
INCREASED FINES
Increased fine amounts are in place for university parking violations on event weekends. All vehicles must be must be parked head-in within the lines of a legal, non-reserved space. Vehicles parked illegally are subject to ticketing and/or towing at the owner’s expense, and all space-specific signage is strictly enforced.
CATA SERVICE
Centre Area Transportation Authority buses will operate on football gameday service schedules detouring around restricted area. Those include
• Blue Loop will follow normal routing from the College Avenue and Allen Street stop to Curtin Road, then will turn right onto Bigler Road and right onto Pollock Road before resuming normal routing.
• White Loop will follow normal routing from from the Beaver Avenue and Allen Street stop to University Drive, then will turn left onto Hastings Road, right onto Bigler Road and left onto Curtin Road, before resuming normal routing.
• Red Link will follow normal routing from the stop on Curtin Road at the Pavilion Theatre to the Bigler Road intersection, then turn right onto Eisenhower Road, right onto Shortlidge Road and left onto Curtin Road before resuming normal routing.
CATA operates two gameday shuttles to Beaver Stadium — one serving downtown and one serving South Atherton Street. Service begins three hours before kickoff and runs continuously until one hour after the game ends. The fare is $2.20 per trip. Visit catabus.com/announcements/game_day_shuttle/ for stops and parking information.
GAMEDAY AND BIG NOON
ESPN’s College Football GameDay and FOX’s Big Noon Kickoff will both air from Penn State on Saturday.
College GameDay will broadcast from 9 to 11:30 a.m. outside Gate C of the Bryce Jordan Center before moving inside Beaver Stadium for the final half hour.
The show will be offering free breakfast to the first 200 fans onsite and T-shirts to the first 750 fans. The event will also feature a DJ and giveaways. Those arriving before 9:30 a.m. can play “Pitch A Fit” for a chance to win a photo with talent at the GameDay desk or an autographed football. Fans can also enter the pit prior to the start of the show and obtain a raffle ticket to participate in Pat McAfee’s Kicking Contest.
Big Noon Kickoff will originate from outside Bryce Jordan Center Gate B from 10 to 11:30 a.m., before moving to the Gate B concourse in Beaver Stadium.
A pregame tailgate will start at 8:30 a.m. and will feature DJ/producer duo Two Friends beginning at 9 a.m. The show recommends that those who want a spot close to the stage in the fan pit arrive before 8:30 a.m. Free food will be available on a first-come, first-served basis after the tailgate begins. Prizes are awarded to the fans with the most creative signs.
BLOCK PARTY AND TEAM ARRIVAL
The Beaver Stadium Block Party will take place from 8 to 11 a.m. on Pollock Road between University Drive and Porter Road, with live music, food trucks and activities. The team arrival will take place at approximately 9:45 a.m. on Curtin Road between Medlar Field and Beaver Stadium. The arrival event includes a pep rally with cheerleaders, the Lionettes dance team and the Nittany Lion before the Blue Band leads the team buses down the road to the stadium’s south tunnel entrance.
