Football weekends at Penn State are a BIG DEAL. Football games can draw as many as 115,000 fans to a town that has a population of 41,757. And when you consider that State College is three and a half hours from Philadelphia and two hours from Pittsburgh you start to realize just how big Penn State football is. And tailgating is a huge part of every football weekend at Penn State. Tailgating at Penn State is just like tailgating at any college football game except bigger, much bigger.
1. Traffic Sucks. There is simply no other way to put it. 100,000 people are squeezing into a 500-acre tailgating area. Combine that with the fact that route 322 is really the only highway into and out of State College and you get traffic jams. The best way to avoid traffic problems is to get the tailgate early. How early? For a 12:00 game you need to be parked by 9:00 am or earlier. For a 1:00 pm start you should be parked by 9:00 am. For a 4:00 pm game you really want to be in your parking spot by 9:15 am. Night games are a different story. For a 7:00 pm or 8:00 pm start you can safely arrive by noon and beat the traffic. Also, if you are aiming to be in a certain tailgating lot (for instance the family friendly lot or a specific lot where you will be meeting friends), consult the Beaver Stadium Parking Map for the current year to make sure you arrive by the correct route and have a pass for that specific lot. If you arrive the wrong way, there is zero chance that you will get to the lot you are aiming for. Also, the parking map changes every year so consulting an old map could put you on the wrong road or in the wrong lot or both.
2. Buy your parking pass before game day. Parking cost $60.00 to $100 on game day and is only available for a few lots, assuming the lots have not sold out. If you buy your parking pass before game day, it only cost $50.00. You can buy your parking pass online but you need to do this a week before game day to allow time for shipping. If you know a student at Penn State (and almost everyone that tailgates knows at least one) have them buy it for you at the Bryce Jordan Center a day or two before the game. Just remember to get the parking pass before you leave for the tailgate. There is nothing worse than buying a $50.00 parking pass and then buying a $60.00 pass on game day because your forgot to bring the parking pass.
3. Bring plenty of ice, or dress in layers. Football season covers two climates at Penn State. The weather for late August and September games is often beautiful. Sure everyone knows how nasty and cold it is at Penn State once the weather changes. But it's easy to forget that the weather usually stays very nice until early October. September in Happy Valley is very nice and occasionally very warm. There is nothing worse than reaching into the cooler after the game a pulling out a nice warm beer. So bring plenty of ice. On the other hand if it is a late October or November game, dress in plenty of layers. Sure you have to peel off a few layers if the weather is warm, but don't count on it. November games are usually cold and windy, so dress accordingly. Nothing makes a tailgate more miserable than being colder than the beer. For the Blue White game in April, either "plenty of ice" or "dress in layers" can apply as early spring weather at Penn State is always uncertain.
4. Bring cans or aluminum bottles not glass bottles. PSU official tailgating rules prohibit glass bottles. I have never seen anyone tossed out of the tailgate lots for glass bottles but you don't want to be the first. You probably drove a long way and it would be stupid to have glass bottles ruin the day. So don't take a chance and bring cans. If you don't like drinking beer from a can then bring red solo cups. And bring plenty because if your like me it's hard to remember which red cup is yours, especially if you've had a few. Kegs have also been prohibited for over twenty years. I really don't understand why. I have never heard of anyone getting cut on a broken keg, but rules are rules. And they probably will toss you if you bring a keg.
5. No charcoal grills or fire pits. I can remember when these were allowed and it really did help on a cold November game day. But after a few cars fires and accidental burns, charcoal grills and open fires were banned. So you need to use a propane grill. These are available at almost any decent sporting goods store with a camping department. Or you can buy one online for under $100. Not nearly as much fun as a fire pit, but trust me they will make you extinguish a charcoal grill and possibly write you a ticket as well. Since propane grills are the only option, make sure you have a spare propane tank. A full 16.4 oz propane tank will last about 2 hours. But if the tank is not completely full, you really don't know how long it will last. There is nothing worse that tossing a few burgers on the grill only to have the propane tank run out. Some people like their burgers rare, but very few people like their burgers cold and raw, so bring an extra propane tank.
6. Bring a distinctive flag and your cell phone if you want people to find your tailgate. The tailgating fields at Penn State are huge and they are not all connected. If you arrive late, (see #1 above) you may be very, very far from where you told your friends you would be. This is a very common problem, but it can be avoided. First, arrive early. Second make sure you arrive via a route that will get you into the lot you are aiming for. This is pretty simple if you consult the tailgate map that comes with your parking pass. Third make sure you have your cell phone fully charged so can drop a pin for your friends to find you. Don't tell them to just meet you underneath your flag. This is a rookie mistake and will ensure that your friends never find you. Also make sure your flag is distinctive so you can find your way back to your tailgate. Absolutely nothing is worse than not being able to find your way back to your own tailgate. A Penn State flag is not distinctive. There are several thousand tailgates with a Penn State flag. So, if you want people to find your tailgate you need a flag that is any color except blue and white. The bigger the better but a small green flag is better than a big blue and white flag.
7. Bring folding chairs, toilet paper and charge your cell phone. These are a simple ones. Chairs are one of the things most often left at home. Believe me after an hour or two you will want to sit down. And speaking of sitting down, when you really have to go and the only option is the porta-potty don't assume there will be toilet paper when you need it. Bring your own, it's not a good time to take chances. Finally make sure your cell phone is fully charged. If you have a car charger you can charge your phone while you a tailgating. Otherwise remember to fully charge your phone before you head to the tailgate. This is critical if you are trying to meet up with friends.
8. Bring sunscreen. This is essential for late August and early September games. Remember unless you bring a canopy there is almost no shade at the tailgates or in the game, so you can get pretty well fried on a sunny September afternoon if you don't have sunscreen. For the Blue White Game in the spring, if the weather is nice, sunscreen is a must.
9. Don't leave right after the game. The traffic leaving can be as bad as the traffic coming in if you leave right away. Wait an hour or so and things clear out nicely. It is a lot easier navigating out of the fields after some of the tailgates have called it a day. Also when leaving the tailgate lots, follow the directions of the police and traffic control staff. They may direct you to go out a different way than you came in, but they know what they are doing. They have a lot of experience with post game traffic and believe it or not they have figured out the best way to keep traffic moving. It can be difficult to follow their directions, especially if you think you know a short cut that will get you where you want to go. But remember there are at least 5,000 other cars trying to take that same short cut, so just tough it out and drive where they direct you. Once you are a few miles from the stadium and traffic has thinned out, then take the best route to get you to your destination. Be cautious with GPS directions since several two way streets are one way only after the game.
10. Enjoy the day and relax. Let's face it you have a lot of people packed into a small area. Not everyone likes to tailgate in the same way. If beer pong isn't your thing that's fine, but if the students at the tailgate next to you are enjoying a full on game of beer pong or whatever other drinking game you can imagine, just go with it. You were young once and they only have a few years left before work and family commitments bring them back to reality.
Penn State Tailgate
Which Penn State Tailgate Lot Do You Wanna Be In?
The map above shows all the current Penn State tailgate lots and how you went to enter to get to each lot. Penn State has made significant changes to stadium parking over the last several years and they continue to experiment with traffic flow and lot assignments. So pay attention to the parking map and listen for any changes in the days leading up to the game. It is common for rain or snow to cause multiple lots to be closed on game day. Needless to say this causes major confusion and traffic problems.
Now you probably might think, all the lots are the same, but each lot has it's own atmosphere. Here's a little a bit about a few Penn State tailgate lots: Penn State Tailgate General Lots:
Tailgate Lot 12: AKA: "IM Fields": This used to be the big student tailgate area but since only pre-sale passes are permitted for Lot 12 the number of student tailgates has been reduced. You can still find a loud and rowdier tailgate experience here but they tend to be better organized with more food options and a bit less cheap vodka and natty light. The best feature of Lot 12 is that the ground is level since it is used for intermural sports. Lot 12 is the best of the General tailgate areas and is relatively close to the stadium. NOTE: Drive down Park Ave from the West Side of campus (Atherton Street) to get funneled into this lot.
Other General Tailgate Lots: The other general tailgate lots are a mix of large, medium and small tailgates with as well as cars that are just parked for the game and not tailgating at all. These lots are all a long walk to the stadium and many are hilly terrain. The farthest lots out (11, 24 and 36) are all a long walk to the stadium so you need to factor that into your game day planning. If you want to be in the stadium for kick off you need to leave 45 minutes or more for walk time and navigating stadium security lines. Also porta-potties can be pretty sparse in the general lots so expect long lines. NOTE: Follow the directions on the parking map to get to your desired lot. All traffic goes to one-way before the games, so if you pick the wrong route to your lot it is a big problem.
Penn State Tailgate Reserved Lots: If you are lucky enough to snag or buy a reserved spot pass, here is some info for you.
Lots 18, 41: Close to the stadium. All paved. Great Location especially if your seats are on the South End. Roomy spots, not at all rowdy. If students are in this section they are at their parents tailgate, so they won't be loud, or obnoxiously drunk.
Lots 14, 15, 16, 17, 31: Mostly grass but some spots are gravel. All close to the stadium. As with Lots 18 and 41 there is plenty of room and generally family tailgates.
Trash and Recycling
One thing you don't need to bring to your tailgate is trash bags. As part of the University wide recycling program, trash and recycling bags are provided by Penn State at numerous locations throughout the tail gate lots. All they ask is that you use the separate your trash from your recyclables and place each in the appropriate bag. Then when you are done take your bags to the nearest dumpster or leave them in your spot for pick up later by the university trash and sanitation crew. It couldn't be much easier.
Changes to Penn State Tailgating
The tailgating lots have changed dramatically over the years. Originally the tailgating fields were mostly to the south of Beaver Stadium. With the construction on the Bryce Jordan Center, the Multi Sports Facility and Ashenfelter Indoor Track, and most recently Medlar Field at Lubrano Park (baseball) the tailgating areas have shifted to the north and west of the stadium. The tailgating areas are also further away from the stadium than ever before. So if you want to be in your seat by Kick-off and you are in any of the General Lots you need to leave plenty of time to make your way to the stadium.
The other big change over the last 30 years is the implementation and enforcement of tailgating rules. If you were familiar with tailgating in the 70's and 80's it was pretty much anything goes. Charcoal grills, kegs, open fires, and underage drinking were all allowed or at least openly tolerated. Over the years, the list of prohibited items and activities has expanded and the tailgating at Penn State is far more subdued. In the old days it was common to leave the game at half time to have a few beers at the tailgate before returning to watch the third and forth quarter. However even this venerable tradition is no longer allowed. No one is readmitted to the stadium and consuming alcohol in the tailgate lots is prohibited during game time. Enforcement is definitely targeted towards loud, drunk students.
Even with all the changes and additional rules, Penn State tailgating is a great time and easily in the top 10 for college tailgating.
Hotels for Tailgating Weekends
The good news is that the number of hotels in the State College area has increased dramatically over the last fifteen years. The bad news is that on football weekends, there are still not enough hotel rooms available. There was a time when the only options were the Days Inn, the Ramada, the Auto-Port, and the Nittany Lion Inn. Now almost all of the discount and moderate priced hotel chains have properties in the State College area. There still aren't any upscale national brand hotels in the area and this probably won't change anytime soon. See Penn State hotels for a complete run down of hotels and motels near Penn State.
Renting a House at Penn State for a Football Weekend
If you need to get more than two hotel rooms to accommodate everyone in your tailgate party, you may want to consider renting a house at Penn State for the weekend. The good news is that you don't need to make reservations to rent a house a year in advance like you do for a hotel room. You can't wait until the last minute but you can usually find a house to rent a few months before the game weekend. There are several online services that make renting a house for the weekend just about as simple as renting a hotel room. The most popular are State College Football Rentals, VRBO, Home Away, Vacation Home Rentals and Game Day Housing. All of these services allow you to search for properties online and compare rates and amenities. However make sure you pay close attention to the location of the house. Many of the homes listed for Penn State football weekends are well outside of State College. Listing in Boalsburg, Port Matilda and Bellefonte are common. Staying in these locations will definitely save you money but make no mistake about it, you are looking at some serious drive time on game day.
Renting a RV for Tailgating
Renting a camper for a tailgate will ensure that you have a memorable weekend and a killer tailgate. You can rent one near your home and drive it up to PSU and set up in the tailgating fields for RVs. The RV tailgating lots open on Thursday so you can make it a long weekend. But if you don't feel like driving a huge RV over the mountains and instead just want to enjoy the comforts of an RV for the weekend you can use an RV service that will deliver your RV to the tailgating lots are drive it away on Sunday. They can also provide anything you might need, or want for your tailgate. It is a great service if you are looking for a turnkey RV tailgate with no hassles. There are several companies that provide this service including gopsurv.com, statecollegervrental.com and nittanyrvvalet.com. They all offer different packages depending on the size RV you need and the amenities you want.
Where to Buy Beer for Your Tailgate
There are several beer distributors in State College where you can buy all of the beer and soft drinks for your tailgate. If you are coming into State College from the east, the most convenient is W.R. Hickey's. Located at 1321 East College Ave, they are literally right on your way to Beaver Stadium if your are coming in from the College Ave exit on 322. In fact you need to drive right past Hickey's to get to the tailgate lots off Porter Road. If you are coming in from 322 and use the stadium exit, there are not any beer distributors or stores of any kind for that matter. So only use this exit if you have everything you need. If you are coming in from the west side of Penn State's campus then you have two choices, Nittany Beverage or Beer Belly's Beverage. Nittany Beverage is at 139 N. Patterson St. and like W.R. Hickey has drive through service. Beer Belly's address is 258 West Hamilton Ave. Beer Belly's does not have drive through, so if you are in a hurry you are probably want to go to Nittany Beverage. One other option for picking up your tailgate beverages is Pletchers at 300 W. Aaron Drive. This is the best option if you are coming into town from the west on Atherton (Business Route 322). They don't have drive through but they do have plenty of parking. All four of the State College beer distributors have great selections of domestic, import and craft beers and can handle big game day and pre-game day volume. So while it is always best to get your beer and other tailgate supplies before you head to the game, if you need to, they are all good game day options. And remember cans only for tailgates and kegs are prohibited.
Penn State Tailgate Games
Other than great food and a cold beer every really good tail gate needs a few games. Tossing around a football is always popular and bringing a football to the tailgate is about as easy as it gets. In fact a football should be required tailgating equipment. It just goes with having a tailgate. There is also corn hole (baggo). This might be the most popular game because it is so easy and can be played by all ages. There are only two concerns with corn hole. The first is that depending on whether your corn hole board is home made or store bought (baggo), it can be a hassle to haul to the tailgate. Home made boards tend to be heavy and bulky. Store bought baggo boards are much lighter and take up a lot less space in the trunk. If you have a pick up truck or lots of trunk space, then no problem. But if your tailgating vehicle is a compact car or you are already loaded down with food, beer, ice and people, then the corn hole boards may be the straw that breaks the camels back. The other concern is that corn hole takes a lot of room. If you are in a crowded tailgating area your corn hole boards may need to be pretty close together. There is also the issue of fellow tailgaters walking through the playing area. Not a huge problem unless you are very competitive group that takes its corn hole very seriously. Ladder golf has been fading over the last few years but is still pretty common at tailgates. The upside to ladder golf is that most games disassemble pretty easily and they can be packed into a trunk without taking up much room. But like corn hole ladder golf needs a fair amount of space so if you are going to be in a popular area, you will have a tough time finding the room to play. Can Jam has also faded over the last few years. This Frisbee based target game is perfect for tailgates because it takes up almost no room in the trunk once you unroll the two barrels. The game itself is good for a tailgate because unlike corn hole and ladder golf scoring involves active team work. This tends to get the energy level up and increases the competitive spirit. Since tailgating is a football related activity, a little competitive intensity is a good thing. There are also numerous tailgate drinking games: Beer pong is the most common and clearly a student favorite. The upside of beer pong is that it doesn't require a lot of room. The downside is that it does require a fairly large table. Sure a folding table with collapsible legs helps, but it you are tailgating from a small car space it is going to be tight. Stump is another popular drinking game. Although definitely a newer arrival at Penn State tailgates, it is clearly the most exciting/dangerous game in the mix. Anytime you combine drinking beer, tossing a hammer, and driving nails into a tree stump something can go wrong. That said accidents are surprisingly rare and injuries tend to be minor. The downside to stump is that you need to bring an actual tree stump to your tailgate. Again if you have a pick-up truck no problem. If you have a small car, you can always purchase a stump with collapsing legs on-line. But even this takes up a fair amount of space and to be honest isn't nearly as cool as a real stump. The important thing is to bring a game. It will absolutely improve your Penn State tailgate experience.
There are no bad seats in Beaver Stadium. As you can see from these upper level seats in the corner of the end zone, the view of the field is still great.
Beaver Stadium Upgrades
Rumors were growing that Beaver Stadium would be the site of the 2017 NHL Winter Classic with Penn State playing host to the Flyers and Penguins. This would have been a great event and a chance to prove that Penn State knows how to tailgate regardless of the weather and the event. However Penn State has officially announced that the Winter Classic will not be held at Beaver Stadium, at least not until substantial changes are made to upgrade the facilities and infrastructure.
The good news is the changes to Beaver Stadium are coming. As much as everyone loves tradition, upgrades to the stadium are long overdue. The bathrooms, concession areas and overall facilities are not up to par with today's standards. Besides, it makes no economic sense for this enormous asset to sit unused for all but seven or eight days per year. Once the facilities are upgraded, Beaver Stadium could host many athletic and entertainment events bringing significant revenue to Penn State. Additional revenue and an upgraded facility will result in a more competitive football program. And a better football program means better tailgating!