Penn State football returns this weekend. Here’s your complete guide to Blue-White 2023

At long last, Penn State football is back in Happy Valley. Well, sort of.

The Nittany Lions’ annual Blue-White spring football game returns to Beaver Stadium at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 15. The “game” marks the 15th and final spring practice for Penn State each year, but it doubles as a fan-favorite event that brings the public back to the bleachers for the first time since December.

If you’re heading up to Happy Valley to tailgate and watch the scrimmage, here’s what you need to know about Penn State’s 2023 Blue-White festivities.

Do I need a ticket?

Nope. Penn State’s annual spring scrimmage is free to the public. Gates A, B, C and E will open at noon before the game kicks off at about 2 p.m. Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis, but you should have no trouble finding a spot.

Be sure to keep Beaver Stadium’s bag policy in mind, too. Clear tote bags with dimensions no larger than 12 inches long, 12 inches wide and 6 inches tall are permitted, in addition to small clutches or wristlets no larger than 4 inches tall, 6 inches long and 1 inch wide.

Penn State Athletics’ clear bag policy is available in full online at gopsusports.com/clearbagpolicy.

How about parking?

Parking lots will open at 8 a.m. April 15, Penn State Athletics says.

Passholders for the Nittany Lions’ 2022 season will have priority parking available in lots 17, 18, 31 and 41 from 8 a.m. to noon. Blue-White parking passes for regular vehicles and RVs were included in season parking booklets for the 2022 season, the athletics department said.

At noon, those lots will begin accepting day-of-game sales for parking, set at $20 per vehicle through cash or card. All other lots near Beaver Stadium will begin day-of-game sales at 8 a.m.

Parking passes for cars are available for purchase in advance through the Bryce Jordan Center’s ticket office, which is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. Notably, RV passes are not sold in advance.

RV parking is restricted to the overnight RV lot, where spots for Saturday cost $60 per vehicle. Those who arrive at the lot Friday with a companion car will owe an additional $40, while two-night parking for Friday and Saturday will cost $100.

Weather forecast

While plenty can change over the next few days, Saturday’s forecast is shaping up nicely.

AccuWeather’s forecast for the University Park campus is calling for partly sunny skies and a high temperature of 76 degrees Saturday with a 5 mph breeze, plus occasional gusts up to 12 mph. There’s roughly a 30% chance of rain, though precipitation is not expected to accumulate much.

Friday is expected to be even warmer with a high of 84 degrees. Sunday will cool off a bit with a 65-degree high, but there’s approximately an 80% chance of rain.

Blue-White Boardwalk

The Blue-White game’s annual fan festival is back. This year’s lineup includes a group of food trucks, carnival games and free rides, including a Ferris wheel, slide, tilt-a-whirl and more, Penn State says. Carnival games will accept cash only, while food vendors will accept credit and cash payments.

The Blue-White Boardwalk will also feature live music, face painting, balloon artists, photo booths and caricature drawings, all for free.

The fan festival is available from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday. You can find it in the upper corner of the Bryce Jordan East parking lot (football parking lot 41) between Beaver Stadium and Medlar Field at Lubrano Park.

Parking Friday is free in the Jordan East, Stadium West and Porter North parking lots.

The Blue-White Boardwalk also gives fans a chance to collect the football program’s annual spring poster, which features the Nittany Lions’ upcoming slate of games. They will be up for grabs at the festival’s Penn State Athletics tent while supplies last, the department says.

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More family-friendly events

Penn State’s annual Blue-White Apparel and Equipment Sale will offer team-issued apparel and equipment while supplies last. The sale, coordinated by Lion Surplus and featuring items like hockey sticks and football helmets, will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday inside Pegula Ice Arena’s Gate A.

Fans can also head to Pegula Ice Arena’s Gate C for a public skate session from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Passes cost $20, including skate rental.

Additionally, Penn State’s All-Sport Museum will be open to the public from 2 to 8 p.m. Friday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. The museum, located in the southwest corner of Beaver Stadium, will be closed Saturday.

Success With Honor, one of Penn State’s NIL collectives, will host an autograph-signing session featuring a handful of Nittany Lion student-athletes from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday outside Medlar Field at Lubrano Park. Participating student-athletes include Levi Haines (wrestling), Chanaya Pinto (women’s basketball), Ali Brigham (women’s basketball), Jimmy Dowd Jr. (men’s hockey) and Alli Campbell (women’s basketball).

The Paterno Family Beaver Stadium Run, benefiting Special Olympics Pennsylvania, caps off the weekend. More than 3,500 runners and walkers are expected to participate in either a 5K-style course or a 2-mile family-oriented walk.

Registration for the race is available online before the event kicks off on Sunday morning. For more information, visit specialolympicspa.org/events/beaver-stadium-run.

Ready for next season?

Penn State’s Blue-White festivities will also give fans a chance to look forward to the Nittany Lions’ 2023 season.

The football program will host an open house leading up to the Blue-White game for fans who are considering purchasing new season tickets. The open house will run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. from Monday through Thursday at the Beaver Stadium ticket office outside of Gate E, where prospective season ticketholders can view open seat locations, the athletics department says.

The first 100 fans who visit the open house will receive “a special Penn State t-shirt,” Penn State Athletics says.

New ‘Legacy Plaza’ project to honor Penn State football history, raise money. What to know

Additionally, fans can visit a Penn State Athletics tent near Beaver Stadium’s south tunnel to view brick samples and renderings of the upcoming “Legacy Plaza” that is planned for the stadium’s exterior. The project, announced in March, will include plaques outlining the football program’s history, plus fan-purchased engravings that start at approximately $350.

The plaza is expected to open in time for the Nittany Lions’ season-opening matchup with West Virginia Sept. 2 at Beaver Stadium. More information is available online at PennStateLegacyPlaza.com or by calling 1-844-424-2263.