How to navigate Blue-White Weekend: Your guide for traffic, parking and more

Penn State’s Blue-White Practice is nearly here, and there are some parking, traffic and transit-related items that drivers heading to the annual event should be prepared for.

Getting to Beaver Stadium may be more challenging than usual this year due to exit closures along two major Centre County highways — the Innovation Park/Penn State University off-ramp exit along U.S. Route 322 westbound, and Exit 161 westbound (Bellefonte) on Interstate 80.

For the Innovation Park/Penn State exit, drivers will be detoured via Interstate 99 northbound to I-99’s Shiloh Road Exit 76, then back southbound to the Innovation Park exit (Exit 74), or via I-99 southbound to the Woodycrest-Toftrees Exit 71, then back northbound to the Innovation Park exit (Exit 73).

This closure started in late March for an I-99 reconstruction project.

Exit 161’s closure along I-80 started in February as part of the I-80/I-99 interchange project and will remain closed through July. It will force travelers to continue down I-80 to its Milesburg exit (Exit 158), where they will then enter I-80 eastbound to get back to the Bellefonte exit.

Parking for the Blue-White practice

For those looking to attend the Blue-White Apparel and Equipment Sale, which runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Pegula Ice Arena, parking will be available at the East Deck parking garage at 1965 Bigler Road.

According to Penn State’s Blue-White Weekend parking, traffic and transit information website, if you’re parked at the garage for less than two hours, the fee will be $2 for the first hour and $1 for the second hour. If parked for more than two hours, a $20 event rate will apply.

Football parking areas near Beaver Stadium, between Bigler Road and Mount Nittany Medical Center, open at 8 a.m. and require a parking pass. Fans who purchased 2025 Penn State football season parking passes should have been issued a parking pass for the stadium lots as part of their season package.

Those who would like to purchase a pass can do so for $20 in general lots and for $30 in preferred lots. Differences in lots can be seen on gopsusports.com’s parking map.

Additional on-campus parking will be available through Penn State Transportation Services at the following locations:

• The East, HUB, and Nittany parking decks: Parking in any of the decks for one hour will cost $1, and two hours will cost $2. Parking here for two or more hours will run you a $20 fee, with all fees payable by credit card at pay-on-foot stations before exiting.
• The Eisenhower Deck: Motorists can park here for a flat $20, payable via the HONK app (zone PSUYF).
• Orange A Katz lot: Parking in this lot will also cost a flat $20, payable by credit card at pay-on-foot stations or through the HONK app (zone PSUOA).

Tailgating is strictly prohibited at campus parking decks and the Orange A Katz lot.

Fans planning to arrive before Saturday must park at the East, HUB, Nittany or West parking decks, and standard hourly rates apply for parking prior to Saturday.

Several parking lots will be closed at midnight Friday, including the commuter lots (Jordan East, Stadium West, Porter North and Porter South); Orange F, E OPP, H and J; Yellow M and V, Silver G and all sections of Orange G, Yellow H and Silver J.

Access to these areas will reopen after outbound football traffic has ended.

During the practice, faculty and staff parking permits will be honored at all faculty and staff parking lots located west of Bigler Road, and student parking permits are honored at all areas located west of Bigler Road that normally allow student parking on weekends.

Email parking@psu.edu or call 814-865-1436 for more information related to on-campus parking managed by Penn State Transportation Services.

In downtown State College, the borough’s parking department will lift its “No Parking 2 a.m. to 6 p.m.” rule, along with the one- and two-hour restriction, beginning from noon Friday until 2 a.m. Monday.

Event rates of $3 per hour will be in effect at all meters, lots and garages from 6 p.m. Friday through 6 p.m. Sunday.

Those with questions on parking in the borough should contact the State College Parking Department at 814- 278-4769.

Road closures around Penn State

Curtin Road will be closed between University Drive and Porter Road, and Porter Road will be closed between Curtin Road and Park Avenue all day Saturday.

Drivers should also be wary of road closures Sunday for the Paterno Family Beaver Stadium Run, which includes a 5K race and 2-mile “family fun walk.” The 5K will step off at 11 a.m., and the walk will step off at 11:10 a.m.

The following roadways will be closed from approximately 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. during the race and walk:

• The entirety of Curtin Road
• Burrowes Road, from Curtain Road to Pollock Road
• Pollock Road, from Borrowes Road to Bigler Road
• Bigler Road, from Pollock Road to Curtin Road
• Shortlidge Road, from Curtin Road to Pollock Road

Several on-campus parking lots will be closed during the race too, including Red H, Yellow G, E, S, F, R and H (sections one and three) and Brown E and B — although parking for the run will be available at no charge at the Jordan East and Stadium West parking areas.

Transit changes

CATA’s Blue Loop and Red Link service will operate during Saturday’s practice, but with some slight service adjustments.

Buses on the Blue Loop will turn right on University Drive from Curtin Road, and will then turn right on Hastings Road where the normal route will continue. The Red Link’s buses will turn right on University Drive from Curtin Road, turn right on Hastings Road, turn right on Bigler Road and then turn left on Curtin Road where the normal route will resume.

Visit catabus.com for more information on CATA campus and community transit service. Real-time bus information and arrival predictions are also available through the myStop and Penn State Go apps.