PSU game parking?

RU848789

Heisman
Jul 27, 2001
64,381
43,479
113
First trip to PSU, oddly enough. Going with a friend who has been there a couple of times, but with PSU folks (his daughter went there and married a fellow PSU grad, so my friend hates going to games there with them, lol). Looking at the map, was thinking the Nittany lot might be a good choice as it's about a mile from the stadium (don't mind the walk) and on the edge of campus so was hoping that might be easier in/out than closer lots. We're just driving in, going to the game and driving out, so no need to be somewhere closer. Thoughts/suggestions? Thanks!
 

Kbee3

Heisman
Aug 23, 2002
43,724
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First trip to PSU, oddly enough. Going with a friend who has been there a couple of times, but with PSU folks (his daughter went there and married a fellow PSU grad, so my friend hates going to games there with them, lol). Looking at the map, was thinking the Nittany lot might be a good choice as it's about a mile from the stadium (don't mind the walk) and on the edge of campus so was hoping that might be easier in/out than closer lots. We're just driving in, going to the game and driving out, so no need to be somewhere closer. Thoughts/suggestions? Thanks!
Don't go. Their fans really suck.
And there's like 100,000 of them.
 

PSUpaly

Heisman
Mar 16, 2003
21,363
10,501
113
First trip to PSU, oddly enough. Going with a friend who has been there a couple of times, but with PSU folks (his daughter went there and married a fellow PSU grad, so my friend hates going to games there with them, lol). Looking at the map, was thinking the Nittany lot might be a good choice as it's about a mile from the stadium (don't mind the walk) and on the edge of campus so was hoping that might be easier in/out than closer lots. We're just driving in, going to the game and driving out, so no need to be somewhere closer. Thoughts/suggestions? Thanks!
you're gonna need a parking pass where ever you park. it's annoyingly expensive, but you can buy a parking pass on Seat Geek (link below). if you can find it somewhere else that's cheaper, great. but to be clear, without a parking pass, you'll be spending valuable time parking at some random location several miles away. it's not worth it.

parking passes

the team is fairly broken right now, so you might actually witness something crazy happen.

have fun
 
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365Poster24Seven

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Oct 13, 2022
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Get a parking pass and get closer to the stadium. The exit is quicker than leaving the yellow or Blue lot. Watch how they manage to get 100 thousand in a stadium for kickoff and real tailgating to boot.
 
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Knight Shift

Heisman
May 19, 2011
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you're gonna need a parking pass where ever you park. it's annoyingly expensive, but you can buy a parking pass on Seat Geek (link below). if you can find it somewhere else that's cheaper, great. but to be clear, without a parking pass, you'll be spending valuable time parking at some random location several miles away. it's not worth it.

parking passes

the team is fairly broken right now, so you might actually witness something crazy happen.

have fun
Note to those who complain about costs of parking, etc, proximity of lots. Lowest cost is $107.
 

tru2ru1

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Feb 5, 2003
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Bought one from PSU site $65 several months ago & looks to be a mile from stadium lot 11
 

PSUpaly

Heisman
Mar 16, 2003
21,363
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Note to those who complain about costs of parking, etc, proximity of lots. Lowest cost is $107.
yeah, i concede it's ridiculous. not sure how it is at Rutgers, but heck...I paid $100 to park at Maryland 2 weeks ago. I guess because it's Penn State?...i dunno. I mean, i could've saved $10 to park a mile further down, but....generally speaking, that's the going rate. sux. rest assured, my virtual parking pass i got from Seat Geek said $30 lol. it is what is. my opinion, you're already spending money, and you don't need anything else to impact your time.
 

Hardslider33

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Be sure to enter from the correct direction for the lot you’re in. Parking policies don’t allow you to enter from anywhere other than the designated direction
 

Knight Shift

Heisman
May 19, 2011
85,674
83,235
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yeah, i concede it's ridiculous. not sure how it is at Rutgers, but heck...I paid $100 to park at Maryland 2 weeks ago. I guess because it's Penn State?...i dunno. I mean, i could've saved $10 to park a mile further down, but....generally speaking, that's the going rate. sux. rest assured, my virtual parking pass i got from Seat Geek said $30 lol. it is what is. my opinion, you're already spending money, and you don't need anything else to impact your time.
There's a long thread on our hoops board about Rutgers ripping off fans for changing $30 for parking right next to the basketball arena. Our men's hoops is at a notch or two higher than our football, and while I go to a couple of games/year, I would not complain about $30 to park.

Season parking passes are cheaper, and if you choose to park a little under a mile away, you can park for free. That's the funny thing- people will not walk 20 minutes to park for free or substantially less, but they will complain loudly about the cost of parking close to the field/arena, and then also complain about the traffic leaving the games.

Things were so much easier when Rutgers totally sucked eggs in men's hoops and football. We should go back to sucking badly and these problems would go away. 🤷‍♂️
 

Kbee3

Heisman
Aug 23, 2002
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Went 2 years ago to happy valley and their fans were awesome. Great tailgates.
The last time we were there....and I do mean the last time...there were too many jerk-offs in Pedd State gear...some of whom were looking for trouble. And they came close to getting it. Lucky for them my wife explained that I was wearing my new suit. The dumbass is probably still waiting for me at Kelsey's Gym.
They were probably friendly to you 'cause they liked your "Rutgers Sux" sweatshirt.
Seriously, they're not all ********. I'm sure there are some perfectly wonderful and friendly Pedd State fans. There just always seemed to be a surprisingly large number of numbnuts.
And the traffic sux and the stadium looks like a giant Erector Set.
 
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RU#1fan

Heisman
Mar 7, 2003
23,089
11,861
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Get a parking pass and get closer to the stadium. The exit is quicker than leaving the yellow or Blue lot. Watch how they manage to get 100 thousand in a stadium for kickoff and real tailgating to boot.
We should take a lesson from them.
 

Mikemarc

Heisman
Nov 28, 2005
69,072
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The last time we were there....and I do mean the last time...there were too many jerk-offs in Pedd State gear...some of whom were looking for trouble. And they came close to getting it. Lucky for them my wife explained that I was wearing my new suit. The dumbass is probably still waiting for me at Kelsey's Gym.
They were probably friendly to you 'cause they liked your "Rutgers Sux" sweatshirt.
Seriously, they're not all ********. I'm sure there are some perfectly wonderful and friendly Pedd State fans. There just always seemed to be a surprisingly large number of numbnuts.
And the traffic sux and the stadium looks like a giant Erector Set.
Certainly not all friendly, and certainly not all a-holes

Like every fan base I’m sure there are a bunch just looking for trouble.

PSU is one of the best environments in college football, and I think everyone should experience it at least once.
 
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PSUpaly

Heisman
Mar 16, 2003
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There's a long thread on our hoops board about Rutgers ripping off fans for changing $30 for parking right next to the basketball arena. Our men's hoops is at a notch or two higher than our football, and while I go to a couple of games/year, I would not complain about $30 to park.

Season parking passes are cheaper, and if you choose to park a little under a mile away, you can park for free. That's the funny thing- people will not walk 20 minutes to park for free or substantially less, but they will complain loudly about the cost of parking close to the field/arena, and then also complain about the traffic leaving the games.

Things were so much easier when Rutgers totally sucked eggs in men's hoops and football. We should go back to sucking badly and these problems would go away. 🤷‍♂️
free parking for basketball games???....where? lol

yeah, i typically drive up for the PSU basketball games (only mid-week games) and park at the Yellow Lot. i got no issues w/the $30 they're charging me. it's probably still high, but I don't care. again, if I'm making the choice to see a game, drive up from Delaware, pay $75-$100 for an elite seat, i'm not gonna squabble over $30 for parking. but, I'm an established 49yr adult. maybe it's different if i'm in my mid-20s.

love the RAC, btw....not too big, not too small, loud AF, and good beers.

i guess they up the ante for football games.
 

365Poster24Seven

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Oct 13, 2022
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free parking for basketball games???....where? lol

yeah, i typically drive up for the PSU basketball games (only mid-week games) and park at the Yellow Lot. i got no issues w/the $30 they're charging me. it's probably still high, but I don't care. again, if I'm making the choice to see a game, drive up from Delaware, pay $75-$100 for an elite seat, i'm not gonna squabble over $30 for parking. but, I'm an established 49yr adult. maybe it's different if i'm in my mid-20s.

love the RAC, btw....not too big, not too small, loud AF, and good beers.

i guess they up the ante for football games.
The guys crying about the parking do not go to any away games and feel physical pain to open up their wallets and are all over 55.
 

Knight Shift

Heisman
May 19, 2011
85,674
83,235
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free parking for basketball games???....where? lol

yeah, i typically drive up for the PSU basketball games (only mid-week games) and park at the Yellow Lot. i got no issues w/the $30 they're charging me. it's probably still high, but I don't care. again, if I'm making the choice to see a game, drive up from Delaware, pay $75-$100 for an elite seat, i'm not gonna squabble over $30 for parking. but, I'm an established 49yr adult. maybe it's different if i'm in my mid-20s.

love the RAC, btw....not too big, not too small, loud AF, and good beers.

i guess they up the ante for football games.
I like the Jersey Mikes RAC/LBAC/WHATEVERAC, but I don't go often. I get it, the facility is outdated, and the bathrooms are lacking. Take a peek at some of the renovation proposals. A lot of what is going on around the country with P5 teams involves more premium seating to bring in more $$$$. We all know that more $$$$ is needed to keep up with the current standard. Rutgers has had a revenue problem, and they are trying to address it.

Here's the renovation proposals:
 

Knight Shift

Heisman
May 19, 2011
85,674
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the team is fairly broken right now, so you might actually witness something crazy happen.

have fun
Funny statement about the team being broken. Our board guys had the PSU guy on their podcast, and the PSU guy said that the knock on the offense is Allar always hits is check downs and never goes deep when there is a deep receiver that is open. But the PSU guy also seemed to indicate the PSU receiving corps was subpar this year. Sounds very similar to RU fan complaints about our offense-laying most of the blame on our QB.

In the end, the average prediction from the writers on RU/PSU side was 31-10/31-7 PSU. I'm usually Mr Scarlet glasses, but fully expecting 35-0 PSU.

One other thing. After going to our Wisconsin game at Camp Randall, I don't think our fans fully appreciate how nice and wide our seats are. At Camp Randall, we felt like sardines packed in a sardine can.

Hope the game is closer than the predictions. Last year second half was a horror movie.
 

WhiteBus

Heisman
Oct 4, 2011
39,358
21,741
113
Note to those who complain about costs of parking, etc, proximity of lots. Lowest cost is $107.
They play with the goal of winning the conference and almost always ranked. We just hope for a winning record and have a QB ranked 130th in completion %.
They don't pad the attendence #s, they actually get 100,000 people in the stands.
 

RU848789

Heisman
Jul 27, 2001
64,381
43,479
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you're gonna need a parking pass where ever you park. it's annoyingly expensive, but you can buy a parking pass on Seat Geek (link below). if you can find it somewhere else that's cheaper, great. but to be clear, without a parking pass, you'll be spending valuable time parking at some random location several miles away. it's not worth it.

parking passes

the team is fairly broken right now, so you might actually witness something crazy happen.

have fun
Thanks, although I thought one only needed a pass for the PSU football lots (the ones in blue on the map below from Seat Geek, which is like the map from PSU - 2nd map). I was hoping lots further away, like the Nittany Deck in the pic below (about a 1 mile walk, which I don't care about), would not require a pass and would likely be cheaper. More importantly, I would guess that coming in from the south of campus and not having to go through most of campus or downtown State College (and departing that way) would make for an easier in and out.

The Nittany Deck doesn't show up on the "official" PSU football game parking page in the 2nd graphic below and is a decent bit further away from the stadium than the lot 11, which is one of the designated gameday parking lots for visitors. Or maybe I'm missing something or maybe that deck fills up with people early. It's not a big deal to pay $100 for parking, but if I can avoid it and have easier ingress/egress, I'll take it.




 

RU848789

Heisman
Jul 27, 2001
64,381
43,479
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From what I recall the traffic for a noon start there, early in the morning, is insane. Like from an hour away. Maybe that’s changed but you might want to check with your buddy.
We were thinking of leaving around 6:30 am, which, on a normal day would get us to PSU by 10:00 am (233 miles all on the highway shouldn't be much more than 3 hours if traffic is reasonable). Don't know traffic issues well enough to know how early one should get to State College to not hit bad traffic (I was expecting some delays, but not crazy delays, but maybe that's a flawed assumption). When was the last time you went to a game at PSU and do you recall travel time/departure time?
 

kupuna133

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Jul 13, 2015
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Thanks, although I thought one only needed a pass for the PSU football lots (the ones in blue on the map below from Seat Geek, which is like the map from PSU - 2nd map). I was hoping lots further away, like the Nittany Deck in the pic below (about a 1 mile walk, which I don't care about), would not require a pass and would likely be cheaper. More importantly, I would guess that coming in from the south of campus and not having to go through most of campus or downtown State College (and departing that way) would make for an easier in and out.

The Nittany Deck doesn't show up on the "official" PSU football game parking page in the 2nd graphic below and is a decent bit further away from the stadium than the lot 11, which is one of the designated gameday parking lots for visitors. Or maybe I'm missing something or maybe that deck fills up with people early. It's not a big deal to pay $100 for parking, but if I can avoid it and have easier ingress/egress, I'll take it.




From what I remember, haven’t been in awhile. Most if not all Penn State parking becomes game day lots and all are assigned. Very few parking options that are not prepaid with passes. Unless you go the private parking lot route (similar to Greek church) even those many are sold out. I remember parking at a hotel/ motel about 2 miles out that provided a shuttle to the stadium where we met up with our tailgating group.
 

kupuna133

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We were thinking of leaving around 6:30 am, which, on a normal day would get us to PSU by 10:00 am (233 miles all on the highway shouldn't be much more than 3 hours if traffic is reasonable). Don't know traffic issues well enough to know how early one should get to State College to not hit bad traffic (I was expecting some delays, but not crazy delays, but maybe that's a flawed assumption). When was the last time you went to a game at PSU and do you recall travel time/departure time?
You could sit in tremendous traffic once you get off the interstate if you time it wrong. I remember first time out there and we sat in an hour plus standstill traffic.
 

Skull83

All-Conference
Jul 31, 2001
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I haven't been out there in awhile, but the last time I was there we stayed in Bellefonte, which is 10 or 11 miles away. What would normally be a 15 or 20 minute ride took close to 2 hours on game day. We made it in time because the place we were staying told us when we needed to get on the road and we listened.
 

RU848789

Heisman
Jul 27, 2001
64,381
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You could sit in tremendous traffic once you get off the interstate if you time it wrong. I remember first time out there and we sat in an hour plus standstill traffic.

This. I just remember sitting there for a good hour. Forget about the time but remember thinking “never again.”
Yeah, I don't want that, but was this pre-traffic-app days? One should be able to see building traffic well ahead and figure out ways around that traffic, which are slower, but moving - unless folks are saying that all roads into State College are gridlocked for tens of miles around the stadium for hours beforehand.
 

365Poster24Seven

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Don't believe that angry little douche pissant. Board troublemaker who doesn't even have a seat at the kids table.
What do you mean Grampa? I have season tickets to both sports and for a long time. I park in the Scarlet lot and understand to be a big time program things cost. Not as long as you but I’m not old and complaining about prices. You claim to give to the Rutgers R and can’t give a dime to the NIL. That makes zero sense and what table is that you speak of? The post all day post because I’m bored and have nothing to do but crap in my depends? Will your post get erased or just mine? You’re the one throwing insults is that the seat at the table you meant ?
 
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AreYouNUTS

Heisman
Aug 1, 2001
120,485
53,261
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Yeah, I don't want that, but was this pre-traffic-app days? One should be able to see building traffic well ahead and figure out ways around that traffic, which are slower, but moving - unless folks are saying that all roads into State College are gridlocked for tens of miles around the stadium for hours beforehand.
The problem is, I don’t think there are more than two ways in there? Again, I’m a little hazy on the details, it was a last second thing and I wasn’t driving. I just remember, reminding myself to never leave New Jersey that late again.




It definitely was not a night game! The last time I did that was back in 93 or 94? Maybe 95?
 

Mufasa94

Senior
Jan 9, 2009
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Fyi on football weekends, State College suspends the posted parking restrictions in the residential neighborhood just south of campus (I.e. free parking). There would be no tailgating opportunity.

It may not be enticing for a non-PSU person. Would require a few blocks walking just to get to the town area and then through the campus. Never measured, but multiple miles.
 
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Hardslider33

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I like the Jersey Mikes RAC/LBAC/WHATEVERAC, but I don't go often. I get it, the facility is outdated, and the bathrooms are lacking. Take a peek at some of the renovation proposals. A lot of what is going on around the country with P5 teams involves more premium seating to bring in more $$$$. We all know that more $$$$ is needed to keep up with the current standard. Rutgers has had a revenue problem, and they are trying to address it.

Here's the renovation proposals:
It looks great can’t wait to see a game
 
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mildone_rivals

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Dec 19, 2011
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Don't go. Their fans really suck.
And there's like 100,000 of them.
Wasn't at PSU, but one of my favorite RUFB tailgates was in the Yellow Lot during a home game against PSU.

We were parked a handful of rows from the front of the lot, and across from us, few carloads of college-age fans from PSU were tailgating. They were drinking a variety of typical college-age stuff. We were drinking a mix of stuff as well, including some 18 year Macallan. People were getting pretty well lubricated, and the tailgates in our rows were co-mingling.

To a person, all the PSU students were really nice and lots of fun to hang with. I wound up sharing some good scotch w/some of the kids from PSU willing to try it. Turns out, they weren't even going into the game - they didn't have tickets. They were just there to tailgate.

Anyway, I was having so much fun w/them, I wound up getting into the stadium late (and really drunk).

While I'm sure each fanbase, including ours, has some troublemakers or problem-people, I have yet to run into any either at away games or from fans visiting us. I would guess the vast majority of people from anywhere are pretty decent.
 

Ridge 22

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Certainly not all friendly, and certainly not all a-holes

Like every fan base I’m sure there are a bunch just looking for trouble.

PSU is one of the best environments in college football, and I think everyone should experience it at least once.
Agree. Was there for a game many years ago (Drew Brees was quarterback for Purdue, so do the math...). Insanely impressive environment. Very electric, confined feeling, and you could feel the stadium shake. Reminded me of old Yankee stadium in a way. Layer in the caliber of the product offered perennially on the field, and it is easy to see why it is an elite game day experience
 

kupuna133

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Yeah, I don't want that, but was this pre-traffic-app days? One should be able to see building traffic well ahead and figure out ways around that traffic, which are slower, but moving - unless folks are saying that all roads into State College are gridlocked for tens of miles around the stadium for hours beforehand.
There are no ways around traffic. You have a main thoroughfare and country roads. You are moving more than 30k cars on game day. It’s like only having rt 3 to access giants stadium. Traffic starts building on Thursday and is a standstill for hours beforehand.
 
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Mikemarc

Heisman
Nov 28, 2005
69,072
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Agree. Was there for a game many years ago (Drew Brees was quarterback for Purdue, so do the math...). Insanely impressive environment. Very electric, confined feeling, and you could feel the stadium shake. Reminded me of old Yankee stadium in a way. Layer in the caliber of the product offered perennially on the field, and it is easy to see why it is an elite game day experience

Even just the night before. Bars packed, everyone talking football. Very knowledgeable.

Great trip all around.
 
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