UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Beaver Stadium’s new seating plan, introduced to Penn State football season ticket holders more than 13 months ago, has resulted in more than 90 percent of fans saying they will keep their season tickets and continue creating “The Greatest Show in College Football” on football Saturdays in Happy Valley.
Penn State fans, recognized nationwide as some of the most passionate and loyal college football enthusiasts, have continued to embrace and increase their team support through the years. In recent months, 2010 football season ticket holders were given the options of retaining, upgrading, downgrading or waiving their seat locations for the 2011 season as part of a new seating plan announced by the Nittany Lion Club. Known as the Seat Transfer & Equity Plan (STEP), the new program positions Penn State Athletics to serve fans better while also meeting the challenges of funding a Division I athletics program. Penn State Athletics receives no state or University funding and must generate sufficient revenue in order to maintain its status as a self-supporting budgetary unit of the University, currently supporting 29 sports.
The responses to STEP, reflecting percentage of 2010 ticket totals, are as follows:
Retain – 69 percent (committed to same seats as 2010);
Upgrade – 20 percent (committed to relocating to a better seat, based on availability);
Downgrade – 4 percent (committed to retain tickets in a lower priced seating zone than 2010 location); and
Waive – 7 percent (have waived opportunity to purchase season tickets for 2011).
The next phase of the STEP program will include the online seat selection process for those relocated as a result of changes to the stadium seating configuration and for those looking to upgrade and downgrade.
Fans who do not have season tickets but would like information on how to secure tickets for the 2011 season can do so by sending contact information to GoLions@psu.edu. The Nittany Lion Club will begin contacting fans who want additional information in late January. Questions about Penn State Football tickets can also be addressed at any time to the athletic department’s Customer Relations Center at 1-800-NITTANY (1-800-648-8269).
Penn State will clash with Florida in the 25th Outback Bowl at 1 p.m. Jan. 1 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. The contest will air on ABC and the Penn State Sports Network. The Nittany Lions and Gators rank among the nation’s top 10 in winning percentage since 2005. Coach Joe Paterno’s squad will be seeking its fifth bowl victory over the past six seasons, with three wins in New Year’s post-season games.
The Nittany Lions will be making their 37th post-season trip under Paterno, who is the all-time leader in bowl wins (24) and appearances. The Hall of Fame coach is taking a team to a 25th New Year’s bowl game, having compiled a superlative 17-7 mark. Penn State is 3-0 in the Outback Bowl, beating Tennessee in the 2007 contest in its last appearance.
The Outback Bowl is the only 2010-11 bowl game featuring two head coaches who have won a national championship, with Paterno and Florida’s Urban Meyer both earning two national titles.