What to know about parking & traffic around Penn State’s home College Football Playoff game
.JPG "There are traffic and parking restrictions to know about when the College Football Playoff and Penn State graduation ceremonies take place this weekend.")
READ MORE
College Football Playoff
Penn State has clinched a spot in the College Football Playoff for the first time since its inception in 2014. Find all of our coverage here as the Nittany Lions look for a path to a potential national title.
Expand All
Between Penn State’s home College Playoff Football game and the university’s graduation ceremonies, Happy Valley will be exceptionally busy this weekend. With it comes some traffic and parking restrictions.
Penn State released information surrounding traffic, parking, transit and more for the weekend. University Housing will close at 4 p.m. Sunday for winter break. The university is encouraging students to leave for break on Friday night or Sunday because of the football game. Access to Lot 82 student parking areas will not be available between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday.
Those picking up students at East Halls will only be able to park at the East Parking Deck. Between 9:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., East Deck will only be available by traveling east on Park Avenue from Atherton Street, then turning right on Bigler Road. After 2 p.m., visitors will be unable to access East Deck until after the one-way traffic pattern is done after the game.
“Traffic on and near campus will be heavy, and unnecessary vehicle travel is discouraged,” Penn State transportation services said in a news release.
Fall commencement ceremonies will take place throughout Sunday at the Bryce Jordan Center. The university expects to award more than 4,500 diplomas.
Traffic
One-way traffic patterns and restrictions on Park Avenue, Porter Road and other roads near Beaver Stadium will go into effect at 8 a.m. Saturday.
In addition to East Deck, access to the Orange faculty/staff parking areas located north of Services Road is only available traveling eastbound on Park Avenue from Atherton Street, according to university transportation services. Park Avenue should only be used by football permit holders with West Zone and East Zone parking. Porter Road will be limited to football permit holders with South Zone parking.
Curtin Road will be closed all day between Bigler Road and Porter Road.
CATA’s Blue Loop, White Loop and Red Link will operate but with some adjustments. It will also operate its Game Day Shuttle to and from the stadium. It will start three hours before kickoff and run for an hour after the game ends. More information can be found on CATA’s website.
Fullington Trailways will also operate its Football Shuttles. More information is available on its website.
Parking
The State College borough announced it is lifting the “no parking between 2 a.m. to 6 a.m.” and the one- and two- hour parking restrictions beginning noon Friday through 2 a.m. Monday.
Additionally, the holiday parking program will be changed to allow some free parking in downtown State College — likely a way to encourage people to shop locally in the last weekend before Christmas. Beginning 6 p.m. Friday, visitors can park for up to three hours for free in the Beaver, Fraser and Pugh Street garages. After three hours, the event rate of $2.25/hour will apply. During this time, the McAllister deck and Beaver lot will have event rates for everyone, and on-street meters will be enforced as normal.
Parking areas for the football game around Beaver Stadium, specifically between Bigler Road and Mount Nittany Medical Center, are managed by the Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics and require a football permit. Lots will open at 7 a.m. For more information about permits, visit gopsusports.com.
Other on-campus parking for the game is available at the East, Eisenhower, HUB, Nittany and West parking decks; those who need to park overnight must park at one of the decks. Weekend event rates will apply on Saturday.
Parking deck rates:
HUB, East and Nittany Decks: On Saturday, rates are $2 for the first hour, $1 for the second hour if parked less than two hours, and $40 if more than two hours. For other days, it is $2 for the first hour, and $1/hour up to the $16 daily max.
West Deck: On Saturday, $2 for the first hour, $1 for the second hour if parked less than two hours and $25 if more than two hours. For other days, it is $2 for the first hour, and $1/hour up to the $16 daily max.
Eisenhower Deck: Parking from Friday through 11:59 p.m. Saturday is $45 (pay through the HONK zone PSUYF as you enter). For Saturday only, it’s $40 through HONK zone PSUYF.
A number of campus parking lots will close at midnight Friday ahead of the game, including commuter lots (Jordan East, Stadium West, Porter North and Porter South), Orange L, Yellow H, Yellow M, Yellow V, Orange A OOP (east and west), Orange A Katz, Orange A HFS (along Services Road), Orange H (sections north of Hastings Road), Orange O (ICA Service Center/Meats Lab), Silver G and Silver J. The east half of Orange U will also be reserved.
Vehicles must be removed from these lots by midnight Friday and will be towed if not removed by 2 a.m. Saturday, according to university transportation services. The areas will reopen after the outbound football traffic has ended.
Faculty/staff parking permits will be honored at all faculty/staff lots west of Bigler Road. Student parking permits will work at areas located west of Bigler Road that typically allow weekend student parking, as well.
This story was originally published December 19, 2024 at 1:15 PM.
