Penn State’s White Out used to look like one of the sport’s hardest tickets. Now, with the season wobbling and USC coming to Beaver Stadium, the price has tumbled fast.
A month ago, seats were going for as much as $350 on TicketData.com. A week ago, they were still up to $182.
By Monday, StubHub had them as high as $101. On Friday, with kickoff just over 24 hours away, SeatGeek listed tickets as low as $56.
The drop reflects more than one issue. Penn State has slipped to 0-2 in Big Ten play, scoring just 33 points across those two conference games.
That stretch includes a blown 17-0 lead in a 24-20 loss to Wisconsin and a game in which Northwestern ran for 413 yards. The university’s planned ticket-price increase to help fund new stadium construction is part of the picture too, along with the demands being placed on fans.
Matt Campbell knows the mood around the program isn’t exactly sunny. Penn State’s first-year coach has asked supporters for patience and faith, and he hasn’t tried to sugarcoat where things stand.
“Every single person within understands what we represent,” Campbell said earlier this week. “We’ve never cowered from it.
We’re not running from it, and we’re not hiding from it. We have to be better.”
He also made clear he isn’t promising an instant fix.
“The reality is it’s going to happen. When that happens and how that happens, we’re going to need everybody pulling in the same direction,” he said.
Campbell said the frustration and flatness around the program are part of what comes with a fan base that cares deeply.
“We’ve got an unbelievable fan base. I’m grateful for it and really appreciative for them,” Campbell said.
“The great thing is they’ve been with us from day one, and my guess is they’ve always been with this program good days and tough days. So I’m really grateful to be in a program like that.
Even with Todd Blackledge on the NBC call and the game in primetime, Penn State’s players are trying to keep the spotlight from becoming a distraction. Kicker Ryan Barker, who has already been through his share of White Outs and big-game atmospheres, has been urging the younger guys to stay locked in.
“Obviously, a lot of stuff comes with the White Out that has nothing to do with football, and a lot of guys will be experiencing that for the first time,” Barker said. “So that’s kind of just been my message to to all of the guys who are experiencing this for the first time: is just keep keep the main thing the main thing, and and worry about your job.”
Linebacker Cael Brezina, one of more than two dozen Iowa State transfers on the roster, said the game offers a chance to reset the conversation around the team.
“I think there’s not a better opportunity to get back on track and to show what kind of team we are,” Brezina said.
The final attendance is still unknown, and the number could end up at 95,000 or 105,000. For right tackle Anthony Donkoh, who has been a captain in all five games this season and has 27 starts at the position over the last three years, the exact figure matters less than the turnout itself.
“It would mean that the fans still care about us, still love us, still give us their support,” Donkoh said. “So it would be amazing for them to be able to show out in the numbers that they have the past the past couple years with the White Outs.”
In Other News...
Penn States White Out Puts One USC Advantage Under Pressure
The White Out at Penn State is already looming as a major test for USC, but it also carries a familiar twist for Lincoln Riley. On the other side will be DAnton Lynn, now Penn States defensive coordinator, who spent last season on Rileys USC staff and helped stabilize a Trojans defense that had been searching for answers. Their shared background gives this matchup an unusual layer of familiarity, with both coaches knowing something about how the other thinks and prepares.
For Penn State, Lynns return to the opposite sideline adds intrigue to a game that will be driven as much by adjustments as by atmosphere. Riley has long been one of the sports sharper offensive minds, and Lynns recent success against that same environment gives the Nittany Lions a meaningful point of confidence. There is mutual respect between the two, but Saturday night is about more than that history. It is a chance to see which coach can turn familiarity into an edge when the crowd, the stakes and the pressure are all at their peak. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State White Out Just Got Bigger Than Anyone Wanted
Penn State is heading into Saturday nights White Out with a lot more on the line than usual, and not just because No. 19 USC is coming to Beaver Stadium for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff. The Nittany Lions have spent the past couple weeks trying to steady themselves after losses to Wisconsin and Northwestern, results that have put a spotlight on a season that was supposed to feel more settled by now.
USC arrives with the kind of profile that can make an already charged environment feel even heavier. Lincoln Rileys team is 5-1 and has flashed the offensive punch that has become its calling card, even if the defense has left room for concern. For Penn State, the White Out is no longer just about pageantry and atmosphere. Its a chance to halt the slide before the questions around Matt Campbells tenure grow any louder. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State Still Needs More From One Key Pass Rusher
Penn States defense came out of the Northwestern game with a few reminders of how thin the margin can be up front. The run defense gave up more ground than usual, the sack count stayed low, and the overall pressure package never quite found a steady rhythm. For a unit that has leaned on disruption to set the tone, it was the kind of afternoon that left the staff looking for a little more from the edge.
Yvan Kemajou has been part of that conversation because the flashes are there, but defensive coordinator DAnton Lynn made it clear the next step is consistency. Penn State likes the playmaking potential Kemajou brings, and the coaches know there is still room for the defense to tighten up as the season moves on. The upside remains obvious, but the Lions are still waiting for that pass-rushing spark to show up snap after snap. [Read more 🡒]