What will it cost you to visit the Peach Bowl to see Penn State football? Quite a bit

Matt DiSanto
·4 min read

Penn State is officially heading to Atlanta, and thousands of Nittany Lions football fans are likely packing their bags, too.

Before the Nittany Lions face Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl Dec. 30, you’ll need to secure your tickets, find somewhere to stay and make sure you’ve got a way to get to the big game. Plenty of options are available, but you might need to plan to organize your trip without breaking the bank.

Here’s what Penn State fans can expect if they’re planning a Peach Bowl trip this December.

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What could a trip to the Peach Bowl cost?

Before purchasing anything else, you’d be wise to make sure you’ve got a ticket to the big game. Penn State is already offering fans access to its Peach Bowl ticket allotment this week, and additional passes are available through secondary markets like Ticketmaster and StubHub starting at more than $100.

Once you’ve got your tickets, lining up transportation is arguably the biggest task ahead. Trying to plan a trip to Atlanta around the start of the new year might get a bit hectic (and certainly a bit costly). To keep things organized, let’s look at some options for two Penn State fans traveling from State College to Atlanta Dec. 29 and returning home Dec. 31.

The newly renamed State College Regional Airport offers fewer flights than its counterparts in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, but there are options for Peach Bowl travel.

As of Tuesday morning, American Airlines is offering round trips from State College to Atlanta for about $1,600 per person, with a few flights stopping in Charlotte, Philadelphia or Washington, D.C., along the way. United, another major airline with flights out of State College, has a few round trips available starting around $1,290 but quickly ranging up to nearly $2,000 per person.

You can likely expect cheaper flights booked through Pennsylvania’s larger airports. A round trip from Philadelphia International Airport to Atlanta, for example, starts at about $858 per person through American Airlines. Delta offers round-trip flights out of Pittsburgh International Airport starting at roughly $600 per person.

If flying is not your style, you could certainly opt for a longer journey to Atlanta on the road. The roughly 760-mile drive from State College would take just under 12 hours, according to Google estimates.

No matter how you get to Atlanta, you’ll need somewhere to rest. Here’s a quick look at a few hotel rates near Mercedes-Benz Stadium for a two-night stay between Dec. 29 and 31:

Just like during a football weekend in State College, available hotel bookings in Atlanta are likely going to dry up quickly as the Peach Bowl draws closer.

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Peach Bowl travel packages

Penn State offers its own sponsored travel packages for fans hoping to head to the bowl game. Though they are perhaps more convenient on paper, both options cost a pretty penny.

The cheaper of the two packages checks in at $1,409 per person in a double-occupancy room. This plan offers a two-night stay at the Nittany Lions’ Atlanta-area Marriott hotel (checking in Dec. 29 and out Dec. 31), plus transportation and admission to a Penn State pep rally. Also included are a Penn State-branded Peach Bowl zip-up fleece, an event lanyard and credential, access to a Penn State Sports Tours hospitality desk and more.

The other plan starts at $1,799 per person for a double-occupancy room. This option includes a three-night stay at Penn State’s Atlanta hotel (checking in Dec. 28 and out Dec. 31). Other exclusive perks include access to a Peach Bowl tour and admission to a volunteer service event alongside fellow fans.

Notably, transportation between your home and Atlanta is not included in the price of either travel package. Reservations are non-refundable, and Penn State encourages those who book to add travel insurance.