University Park, Pa. — Penn State Football season tickets are available for the Nittany Lions’ blockbuster home schedule this fall, which includes visits from Alabama, Iowa, Illinois, Purdue and new Big Ten member Nebraska, who Penn State plays in Beaver Stadium for the first time since 2002.
Four bowl teams from last season are on the home slate, as Penn State celebrates its 125th season on the gridiron.
The highly-anticipated campaign begins Labor Day weekend, when fans get their first view of the team in a Sept. 3 match-up with Indiana State. Alabama makes its first visit to Happy Valley since 1989 for an all-stadium Whitehouse on Sept. 10. Penn State fans will be wearing their favorite Nittany Lion jersey to the Sept. 24 contest with Eastern Michigan on Jersey Day.
Penn State is in the final stages of implementing seating changes for the upcoming season and a limited number of season tickets are available in all seating zones of Beaver Stadium. Season football tickets are available to new Nittany Lion Club members every year in very limited quantities, with slightly more available this year as a result of the changes to seating requirements.
"The passion of Penn State’s fan base has always shone through by filling Beaver Stadium every Saturday for many years," stated Greg Myford, Associate Athletic Director for Business Relations and Communications. "A full stadium leads many to believe, however, that season tickets simply aren’t available, but annual attrition allows for new season ticket opportunities every year. With the ushering in of a new ticket allocation process over the last several months, we’ve been able to allow our current season ticket holders to either stay where they are or move within the stadium, as well as accommodate new fans who want season tickets. That’s the phase of the process we are in right now, so now is the time to act."
Myford reported the new opportunities to buy season football tickets has pushed Nittany Lion Club membership up 10 percent from last year, approaching 25,000, a new all-time high.
Iowa will visit for Penn State’s Big Ten home opener on Oct. 8 and one week later, Purdue visits for the Nittany Lions’ 92nd Homecoming Game at 12 p.m. Penn State’s Championship teams and individuals from 2010-11 will be honored during the Illinois game (Oct. 29) and Nebraska visits for Senior Day on Nov. 12. The Nittany Lions and Cornhuskers will play annually starting this season.
New applications are currently being processed. Penn State fans who have not already applied for 2011 season tickets can find the season ticket application online at www.GoPSUsports.com/tickets or by calling Penn State Athletics Customer Relations at 1-800-NITTANY (648-8269) Monday through Friday between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Beaver Stadium has a capacity of 107,282 and is the nation’s second-largest college football venue. The Nittany Lions have finished in the top four in the nation in attendance every year since 1991, drawing 9 of the top 10 crowds in Beaver Stadium history since 2005.
Coach Joe Paterno’s Nittany Lions have won 38 of their last 44 home games and are 58-19 (75.3) overall since the start of the 2005 season to rank in the top 10 percent nationally in winning percentage. Over the past six years, Penn State has won two Big Ten Championships, won four bowl games and played in five New Year’s or Bowl Championship Series (BCS) games, the nation’s third-highest total.
The Nittany Lions return 41 letterwinners and 15 starters for the 2011 season, (7 offense, 7 defense, 1 specialist), as well as 17 players that have starting experience.
