During 2012-13 season Penn State averaged 96,730 fans per game. It was an average good enough for fifth in the NCAA, behind Michigan, Ohio State, Alabama and Texas; but by Penn State standards it was the first time the crowds had dipped that low since the stadium expanded in 2001. In fact the 2012 season saw six of Penn State’s 10 smallest crowds of the post-expansion era.
In comparison, during the 2011-12 season Penn State averaged 101,427 fans per home game with 100,000-plus crowds at four of the seven games. During last season Beaver Stadium only broke the 100,000 mark once when the Nittany Lions took on Ohio State. The 107,818 fans in attendance was just a thousand or so fans outside of the tenth largest crowd in stadium history.
But what does the future hold? According to Penn State, ticket renewal rates are nearing similar marks as previous years.
“Ticket numbers at this time of year continue to be active and a bit of a moving target,” Associate Athletic Director Greg Myford told StateCollege.com. “But as it pertains to current season sales, total 2013 season tickets sold and paid in full to date is 89% of the season tickets purchased last year. As a point of reference, in recent years, the renewal rate has hovered between 91-95%. Obviously, that 89% will only increase as fans continue to purchase season tickets between now and the start of the season.”
For some, Penn State season tickets no longer were an option with the recent implementation of the Seat Transfer and Equity Program (STEP) in 2011. The program required a donation of anywhere from $100 to $600 to the Nittany Lion Club per seat depending on location on top of the value of the tickets. Two sections of seatback chairs require a $2,000 donation per seat.
In 2012 Penn State reduced the donation prices for over 11,500 seats.
“The changes this year are put into place with two goals in mind,” athletic director David Joyner said at the time. “One – offer our fans additional, more appealing options in order to maximize the number of Nittany Lion fans coming to Beaver Stadium and cheering on our team each week, and two – grow the revenues needed to maintain – in an increasingly difficult climate — the excellent competitive and classroom performance that Penn Staters everywhere expect.”
Penn State reported to Bloomberg Business Week in 2012 that donations tied to ticket purchases were projected to reach a record $17.5 million for the 2012 season.
Regardless, the program saw plenty of longtime ticket holders drop their season tickets. Even in 2013 a few years into the program, the feeling is the same especially with a large secondary market of scalpers and online ticketing services.
“I am a grad student in Philly and it just costs too much,” Robert Dougherty said after dropping his tickets. “There were enough empty seats last year that I could always go up for a game or two a year. I probably saved $2500 by not paying the STEP license and purchasing season tickets.”
But with a large following of fans, while one is letting go of season ticket, another will be happy to upgrade.
“We were already donating $1000 or more, ” Maryland native Christopher Love said. “We had six tickets in the old visitor section and now we’re in ECU row 48, so we have a better view too.”
And there are those who are voting with their money. In the wake of the Jerry Sandusky scandal plenty of Penn State alumni and students have been unhappy with university leadership and have taken action.
“I feel like there is a lack of any real leadership at the highest levels of the university,” Davis Holland said. “I did not want my money to validate their choices. I love the leadership that O’Brien has shown, and admire the players. I just can’t support the “university” right now. I really feel that my support was taken for granted by university leadership.”
Ultimately Penn State’s product on the field will dictate the program’s ability to sell tickets. With NCAA sanctions and a level of uncertainty regarding the future of the program, high ticket prices may just been too much for even some of the most devout fans. However if O’Brien and the Nittany Lions come out strong in 2013, more and more people may be willing to bite the bullet to see the action up close and personal.
