Ranking Penn State football's 2024 home games by ticket prices

Penn State football is set to host one of, if not the most, unique home game schedule in program history this fall. That’s because Big Ten expansion is here, and thus, fresh faces join familiar foes on the team’s docket of games. The Nittany Lions will face a total of three newcomers in 2024. Two of those contests come at home. There are also four games against previous Big Ten West teams, which is more than they would have faced before league divisions were ended ahead of this season.

“Is it going to be cool to play some of these opponents we haven’t played before? Yes,” Lions coach James Franklin said in June. “Is it also going to be challenging? Yes. Do we also have to deal with travel that other conferences that we’re competing against don’t have to? Yes. And all of our decisions that we’re making long term should factor that in.

“People are talking about roster size right now. Well, our roster size needs to take into consideration that we’re going to be traveling across the country, when other conferences may not be doing that. Our conference plays nine conference games, other conferences don’t do that. “All these things have an impact.”

Using the all-in ticket prices from GameTime, we ranked the Lions’ new-look home schedule from the cheapest game to the most expensive one below. Prices are as of July 7.

7. Maryland at Penn State on Nov. 30: $23

Depending on your expectation for the Nittany Lions this year, now is either the perfect time to buy tickets for the Senior Day game or the worst. If you think this could end up being a game that sends Penn State to the Big Ten title game if they win, then you’ll never find as many tickets below $100 in November as you will now. But, if you think this game might not mean all that much, then ticket prices may end up hovering right around where they are now based on the post-Thanksgiving timing of the contest combined with the start of hunting season and possible weather implications.

6. Kent State at PSU on Sept. 21: $24

The Golden Flashes come to Beaver Stadium to face a Nittany Lion team coming off its first bye of the season. The Sept. 21 clash does not yet have a start time. But, that could impact where these ticket prices go in addition to things like the weather and, let’s face it, whether Penn State is 2-0 as expected or 1-1 thanks to an unexpected upset.

5. Bowling Green at Penn State on Sept. 7: $25

The home opener against the Falcons just clips the other Penn State non-conference game against a Mid-American Conference opponent. If the Lions beat West Virginia and get a good weather day, these prices are sure to jump. But, the already set Noon start might deter some regardless of how perfect this September day might be.

4. Illinois at PSU on Sept. 28: $71

Referring back to how we laid out the Maryland game, if you think this will be the White Out game in prime time, now is as good of a time to buy as any. However, if you think it will be another game on the home slate, then you’re probably safe to wait. This is already Homecoming, which surely factors into the price bump compared to some other contests, and brokers are likely hedging on it possibly being the White Out game, too.

3. UCLA at Penn State on Oct. 5: $90

It goes without saying that plenty of Penn State fans are excited to see some of the league’s new blood experience a Beaver Stadium home crowd for the first time. UCLA is not expected to be very good in 2024. This has all the makings of a blowout on preseason paper. But, if you want to combine a potentially perfect fall day with a team new to the league and possibly an afternoon kickoff, you have all the ingredients needed to make a purchase.

2. Washington at PSU on Nov. 9: $160

In a different time, the Big Ten’s rule about no November night games unless both teams agree to it would keep this contest from possibly being the White Out game. That rule no longer exists, however. And, so, when you combine Washington being a newcomer to the league with this game possibly being the White Out, in addition to what it could mean for the Lions’ Big Ten title and CFP aspirations, you get the first double-digit get-in game on the home schedule. The Huskies lost a ton from last year and are expected to have a down year. That won’t stop these prices from climbing higher, though, if the Lions enter it with one loss or even none if they upset Ohio State the week before.

1. Ohio State at Penn State on Nov. 2: $252

This game will no longer decide who will win the Big Ten East. But, it will, in all likelihood, give the winner a leg up in the race to make the conference title game. We’ll know a lot more about Penn State and the Buckeyes by the time the first Saturday in November arrives. But, as the marquee home game on the schedule, it goes without saying that this price is likely to only go up, not down, as kickoff approaches.