UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State will celebrate its 12th annual Military Appreciation Week in November and this year will honor military families with members who serve or have served in the U.S. armed forces.
This year will feature a week full of events that will kick off on Nov. 3 and conclude on Nov. 11. The Penn State military appreciation football game against Indiana University and tailgate will be held on Oct. 28 prior to the start of the weeklong festivities. These events are open to all University, local and military community members, and more details will be shared closer to the fall.
Penn State has a large network of students, staff and faculty who have military ties as either service members, veterans, or military dependents across 24 campuses and World Campus. These individuals are an important part of the Penn State community and this season’s events will honor and celebrate this group and their families for their service and sacrifice supporting our military.
The University’s first Military Appreciation event took place in 2012 and today’s celebrations have evolved into some of the largest in the Big Ten. In recent years, Penn State has celebrated and recognized veterans, women who have served, member of the Pennsylvania National Guard, and more recently, faculty and staff who have served or currently serve in the military.
Submit a “Profile of Service”
Each year Penn State students, faculty, staff and alumni with military connections are encouraged to submit a profile of service for the chance to be featured on the University’s Military Appreciation website. Profiles may also be submitted by family members and loved ones.
Profiles are used to highlight the service and sacrifice of members of the Penn State community who have served or current serve in the U.S. armed forces. There is a growing collection of profiles of employees, students and alumni from across the University that can be viewed on the Penn State Military Appreciation website.
Seats for Servicemembers
Fans, supporters and season ticket holders are now able to purchase tickets in advance for this year’s Military Appreciation Week game. Tickets will cost $35 and will be donated to military members and their families through the University’s Seats for Servicemembers program online or by calling 1-800-NITTANY.
Seats for Servicemembers has continued to grow over the past few years. Numbers have grown from 100 tickets donated in 2012 to 7,500 donated in 2021, thanks to the generous donations of fans and supporters.
In September, veterans and service members will be able to request two complimentary tickets to the Oct. 28 military appreciation football game on a first-come, first-served basis through Penn State Athletics. Additional information, including the sign-up link, will be shared on Penn State News in August.
Support military appreciation at Penn State
Penn State provides multiple programs and resources to support the military community. Community members can make a donation to support a range of scholarships and programs at Penn State that support student veterans and service members, military dependents, military appreciation events and more.