Parking near Beaver Stadium for Penn State-Michigan? Be sure to avoid these closures

Matt DiSanto
·7 min read

Perhaps the biggest game of the Nittany Lions’ season is Saturday. Thousands of fans will flock to Happy Valley in droves before Penn State football faces the University of Michigan, and plenty of traffic is likely on its way, too.

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation previously warned of potential traffic delays and “extreme congestion” for fans heading to Beaver Stadium earlier this season, and Saturday may be no different. If you’re on your way to the big game, there’s a lot you should keep in mind to keep things running smoothly.

Here’s what you need to know about parking, road closures, traffic restrictions and more around Beaver Stadium as the Nittany Lions face the Wolverines.

Penn State-Michigan traffic restrictions

Football parking areas near Beaver Stadium will open for fans at 7 a.m. Saturday, Penn State says.

Starting at 9 a.m., one-way traffic patterns and restrictions will start on Park Avenue, Porter Road and other roadways near the stadium, Penn State says. Fans heading to the game will need to follow their assigned route to reach their parking area and lot.

Access to the East Parking Deck and Orange faculty/staff parking areas located north of Services Road will be available only by traveling eastbound along Park Avenue from Atherton Street, according to the university. Park Avenue should be used only by football permit holders with West Zone and East Zone parking. Similarly, traffic along Porter Road will be limited to only football permit holders with South Zone parking.

The 2023 Beaver Stadium parking map, courtesy of Penn State Athletics. Lots marked with a green $ will sell day-of-game parking passes.
The 2023 Beaver Stadium parking map, courtesy of Penn State Athletics. Lots marked with a green $ will sell day-of-game parking passes.

Curtin Road will remain closed between Bigler and Porter roads throughout the day, the university says.

Any Penn State students, faculty and staff trying to access central campus parking areas are encouraged to travel northbound on Shortlidge or Burrowes roads via College Avenue.

“Traffic on and near campus will be heavy, and unnecessary vehicle travel is discouraged,” Penn State wrote in a media release. “Drivers traveling to campus should allow extra time to reach their destination.”

Penn State football is back. Here’s how to park at Beaver Stadium and find your spot

Fans on their way to the State College area should be mindful of a bridge preservation project along U.S. Route 22 in Juniata County (roughly a mile before the Port Royal exit). According to Pennsylvania Department of Transportation spokesperson Timothy Nebgen, the single-lane bridges inside the work zone have contributed to significant traffic congestion on home football weekends.

At least one lane is open in each direction along Atherton Street in State College. Crews will not work on the project Friday or Saturday, Nebgen says.

“While long-term traffic control measures remain in place, we don’t anticipate this to result in delays,” Nebgen wrote in an email. “The area won’t be any more congested than it would on a normal football weekend with no work occurring on Atherton Street at all.”

Where can I park on campus and in State College?

Visitors for the upcoming football weekend are encouraged to park in one of five Penn State decks if they’re set on parking on campus. Here’s a quick breakdown of their fees:

  • The East, HUB and Nittany decks will charge $45 for parking from Thursday through Sunday. Saturday-only parking is available for $1 per hour (for less than two hours) or a flat $40 fee if parking exceeds two hours.

  • The West Deck will charge $45 for parking from Thursday through Sunday. Saturday-only parking is available for $1 per hour (for less than two hours) or a flat $25 fee if parking exceeds two hours.

  • The Eisenhower Deck will charge $45 for parking from Thursday through Sunday. Saturday-only parking is available for a flat $40 fee (cash only).

Notably, tailgating is prohibited at all campus parking decks. Anyone who loses their ticket Saturday or Sunday will receive a $50 charge that must be paid at the exit lane by credit card only, Penn State says.

Several campus parking lots will close at midnight Friday in preparation for Saturday’s football game, including:

  • Commuter lots (Jordan East, Stadium West, Porter North and Porter South)

  • Orange L (all sections)

  • Yellow H (all sections)

  • Yellow M

  • Yellow V

  • Orange A OPP (east and west)

  • Orange A Katz

  • Orange H (all sections north of Hastings Road)

  • Orange O (ICA Service Center/Meats Lab)

  • Silver G

  • Silver J (all sections)

The eastern half of the Orange U lot, located east of USB I and II, will also be reserved starting at midnight Friday.

On Saturdays with home football games, Penn State honors faculty and staff parking permits at all faculty and staff lots located west of Bigler Road. Student parking permits are honored at all areas west of Bigler Road that normally allow student parking on weekends. More specific details are available through an interactive map online.

You can call 814-865-1436 or email parking@psu.edu for more information regarding on-campus parking on football weekends.

James Franklin declines to wade into sign-stealing scandal during Michigan game week

Plenty of options are available in downtown State College, too. Paid parking is available in three garages (Beaver, Fraser and Pugh), plus municipal lots and decks along Beaver Avenue and Allen and McAllister streets.

Starting at noon Friday, the State College borough’s parking department will lift its restrictions on parking in certain areas between 2 and 6 a.m., as well as one- and two-hour parking restrictions. Those restrictions will resume at 2 a.m. Monday.

Bus loop adjustments and shuttles

The Centre Area Transportation Authority’s core bus loops will still operate Saturday, but a few changes will modify its routes. Here’s a quick look at what you can expect if you’re riding on the Blue Loop, White Loop or Red Link:

  • From its stop at College Avenue and Allen Street, the Blue Loop will follow normal routing along Curtin Road before turning right on Bigler Road and right on Pollock Road, where it will resume normal routing.

  • From its stop at Beaver Avenue and Allen Street, the White Loop will follow normal routing to University Drive before turning left on Hastings Road, right on Bigler Road and left on Curtin Road before resuming normal routing.

  • From its stop on Curtin Road at the Pavilion Theatre, the Red Link will follow normal routing to Bigler Road before turning right on Eisenhower Road, right on Shortlidge Road and left on Curtin Road before resuming its regular course.

Two CATA shuttle loops service downtown State College and South Atherton Street before and after every Penn State home football game.
Two CATA shuttle loops service downtown State College and South Atherton Street before and after every Penn State home football game.

CATA’s ever-popular game day shuttle service provides cheap transportation to and from Penn State home football games. You can find more information about its routing, stops, fares, hours of operation and more by visiting catabus.com/catabus/community-service/2023_gameday-shuttles.

Could Penn State football’s blowout against Maryland serve as a turning point to the season?

Gameday information

Beaver Stadium’s parking and tailgate lots open at 7 a.m. Saturday. Premium gates (like the new Tunnel Club) will open at 9 a.m., followed by Family Friendly gates at 9:30 a.m. All other public gates will open at 10 a.m., and fans are encouraged to arrive early ahead of the noon kickoff, Penn State said.

Penn State will host Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff pregame show for the first time this year ahead of the Nittany Lions’ showdown with Michigan. The program will air starting at 10 a.m. from its set, which is located between the Bryce Jordan Center and Beaver Stadium along Curtin Road.

Penn State fans at Saturday’s game should wear the color on this map corresponding with their seating section.
Penn State fans at Saturday’s game should wear the color on this map corresponding with their seating section.

The Nittany Lions’ matchup with Michigan will feature Beaver Stadium’s annual Stripe Out game theme, tasking fans with wearing either blue or white depending on where they’re sitting. You can visit pennstatestripeout.com to find your designated color by entering your seating section. Notably, all students in Penn State’s student section should wear white.

No. 10-ranked Penn State (8-1) enters its matchup with the No. 3 Wolverines (9-0) after defeating Maryland 51-15 on the road last weekend. Michigan defeated Penn State 41-17 in Ann Arbor when the two programs last met in October 2022. The Nittany Lions own a 10-16 all-time record against the Wolverines since they first met in 1993.