UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State Football will host SMU at noon Saturday, Dec. 21, at Beaver Stadium in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Information on opening times for stadium gates will be announced at gopsusports.com.

Impacts for students returning to East Halls

For the students living in East Halls and students with a Lot 82 permit who must depart on Saturday, please note that access to Lot 82 student parking areas will be unavailable from approximately 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday. The following accommodations are in place for Saturday:

• Lot 82 permit holders returning to park Saturday should park at the East Parking Deck. Tap your Penn State ID+ Card at the in-lane machines to enter and exit. Vehicles must by parked at Lot 82 by midnight Sunday night.
• Parents, families, and anyone picking up a student at East Halls will only be able to park at the East Parking Deck. The parking fee is $2 for the first hour and $1 for the second hour, if parked less than two hours. If parked for additional time beyond the two hours, the $40 event parking rate will be charged. From 8 a.m. until approximately 2 p.m. Saturday, access to East Deck will only be available by traveling east on Park Avenue, from Atherton Street and then turning right on to Bigler Road. There will be no access to East Deck from 2 p.m. until the one-way outbound traffic pattern concludes following the end of the game. This corresponds with the Game Day Traffic Pattern.

Game day and weekend event parking

Football parking areas near Beaver Stadium (between Bigler Road and Mount Nittany Medical Center) are managed by Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics and require a football permit, which is only valid in the assigned lot. Lots will open this week at 7 a.m. For more information, visit gopsusports.com, call 1-800-NITTANY, or email golions@psu.edu. 

Additional on-campus parking on football game days is available through Penn State Transportation Services at all five campus parking decks (East, Eisenhower, HUB, Nittany, West). Visitors wishing to park overnight must park at one of the decks. Overnight visitor parking is prohibited at all other parking areas.

Note: Parking availability at the on-campus parking decks is subject to change.

Weekend event rates apply only to vehicles parked on Saturday. Otherwise, standard rates apply. Use pay stations prior to returning to your vehicle to exit. Cash is not accepted in exit lanes.

Lost ticket fees will be $50 on Saturday and Sunday and must be paid at the exit lane by credit card only.

Tailgating is strictly prohibited at campus parking decks.

East, HUB, and Nittany decks:

• Any vehicle parking in the deck on Saturday will have the following rate applied: $2 for the first hour and $1 for the second hour if parked for less than two hours, $40 if more than two hours
• The daily parking rate of $2 for the first hour and $1 per hour up to the $16 daily maximum applies for all other days.

West Deck:

• Any vehicle parking in the deck on Saturday will have the following rate applied: $2 for the first hour and $1 for the second hour if parked for less than two hours, $25 if more than two hours
• The daily parking rate of $2 for the first hour and $1 per hour up to the $16 daily maximum applies for all other days.

Eisenhower Deck:

• Parking from Friday through Sunday 11:59 p.m.: $45, payable through HONK zone PSUYF upon entry
• Parking Saturday Only: $40, payable through HONK zone PSUYF upon entry

Game day parking closures — faculty, staff and student parking access

The following campus parking lots will close at midnight Friday night in advance of Saturday's home football game:

• Commuter lots (Jordan East, Stadium West, Porter North, Porter South)
• Orange L (all sections)
• Yellow H (all sections)
• Yellow M
• Yellow V
• Orange A OPP (east and west)
• Orange A Katz
• Orange A HFS (section along Services Road)
• Orange H (all sections north of Hastings Road)
• Orange O (ICA Service Center/Meats Lab)
• Silver G
• Silver J (all sections)

In addition to these areas, the east half of Orange U, located just east of USB I and II, will also be reserved beginning at midnight Friday night.

All vehicles, including department vehicles, must be removed from these areas no later than midnight Friday night. Access to these areas will reopen after outbound football traffic has ended. Vehicles not removed from these areas by 2 a.m. Saturday morning will be towed.

On home football Saturdays, faculty/staff parking permits are honored at all faculty/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 (see the lots highlighted in yellow with the E/W symbol on the student parking interactive map. 

For a more convenient exit from campus after the football game and to provide greater capacity for visitors at the parking decks, faculty/staff and student permit holders are encouraged to use surface parking areas instead of parking decks on football game days.

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

Increased fine amounts for parking violations on event weekends

Drivers are reminded that all vehicles must be parked within all lines of a legal, non-reserved parking space. Vehicles parked on the roadways, curbside ends of rows, etc., are subject to ticketing and/or towing at the owner's expense. All parking areas require either head-in parking or for the vehicle to be parked so that the license plate faces the drive aisle. Please check lot entrance signage for the requirement for each parking area. All space-specific signage, such as ADA, service, and reserved spaces, remain in effect and are strictly enforced. In addition, increased fine amounts are in place for campus visitors parked in violation of University parking regulations during designated event weekends.

Traffic restrictions

Beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday, one-way traffic patterns and traffic restrictions will go into effect on Park Avenue, Porter Road, and other roadways near Beaver Stadium. Those attending the game with a prepaid football parking permit must follow the route assigned for their parking area and parking zone. Visit Penn State's Game Day Parking and Traffic site for more information. 

Access to the East Parking Deck and Orange faculty/staff parking areas located north of Services Road will only be available by traveling eastbound on Park Avenue from Atherton Street. Except for permit holders attempting to access these areas, Park Avenue should be used only by football permit holders with West Zone (traveling eastbound on Park from Atherton Street) and East Zone (traveling westbound on Park from I-99/322) parking. Traffic on Porter Road will be limited only to football permit holders with South Zone parking.

Curtin Road will be closed between Bigler Road and Porter Road throughout the day.

Faculty, staff, and students attempting to access central campus parking areas should do so by traveling northbound on Shortlidge Road or Burrowes Road from College Avenue. Traffic on and near campus will be heavy, and unnecessary vehicle travel is discouraged. Drivers traveling to campus should allow extra time to reach their destination.

Transit service and adjustments

CATA's Blue Loop, White Loop, and Red Link service will operate on home football Saturdays, but with the following adjustments to service:

Blue Loop - from the bus stop at College Avenue and Allen Street, the Blue Loop will follow normal routing to Curtin Road, where it will turn right on Bigler Road and right on Pollock Road, where it will resume normal routing.

White Loop - from the bus stop at Beaver Avenue and Allen Street, the White Loop will follow normal routing to University Drive, where it will turn left on Hastings Road, right on Bigler Road, and left on Curtin Road, where it will resume normal routing.

Red Link - from the bus stop on Curtin Road at the Pavilion Theatre, the Red Link will follow normal routing to the intersection with Bigler Road, where it will turn right on Eisenhower Road, right on Shortlidge Road, and left on Curtin Road, where it will resume normal routing.

CATA will again be operating its Game Day Shuttles to provide transportation to and from each Penn State Football home game. Visit the CATA website for information on routing, stops, hours of operation, and fares.

Email cata@catabus.com or call 814-238-CATA 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.

Fullington Trailways will also be operating its Football Shuttles this season, with service from several local locations and Blair and Clearfield counties. Visit the Fullington website for more information.