It’s official: No. 10 Penn State football is heading to Arlington, Texas to square off against No. 17 Memphis in the Cotton Bowl Classic. The game will kick off at noon (11 a.m. local time) on Saturday, December 28 at AT&T Stadium.

With the Nittany Lions’ bowl fate sealed, the well-traveling Penn State faithful will surely be scrambling to scrape together last-minute plans to watch the final game of the 2019 season.

We’re here to help you figure out how to get there, stay there, and have a great time tailgating.

Transportation

First and foremost, you’re going to have to get yourself to Texas. Since the game will take place over winter break, students and alumni alike will be trying to go to the game from all over the country.

For students who either live in State College or will be staying on campus over break, flights into Dallas Fort Worth aren’t very cheap. Most of the round-trip flights around the game’s date include layovers and start in the mid-$500 range. Prices are similar from Pittsburgh International Airport but drop into the lower-$400 range from Philadelphia International Airport.

If you’re into sitting on a bus for almost a day and a half, Google Maps recommends taking a Greyhound bus from State College to Pittsburgh to Columbus to Dallas. However, this route does cut dangerously close to Ohio State and will cost you about $250.

If you’re really feeling crazy, you could hop in the car for the 20-hour ride down the Appalachians and into Texas. The nearly 1,400-mile ride will cost you around $140 if you were to do it all in one go, assuming you get the national average of 25 miles-per-gallon on your car and are paying the average gas price of $2.57 per gallon. Maybe this is an excuse to finally make that half cross country road trip you’ve been saving up for?

Tickets

Tickets for the game will most likely be the cheapest part of your journey, especially if you’re a student. Student tickets cost $50 each and go on sale at 7 a.m. on Wednesday, December 11.

Nittany Lion Club members can purchase tickets starting December 9 at 5 p.m. and members of the Penn State Alumni Association will run presale requests from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Tuesday, December 10.

For the general public, tickets will go live at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, December 11. This is pending ticket availability, so if students and other club members sell out the allotted tickets, the general public will need to resort to StubHub and other ticket services.

Accommodations

Flying in and out of Dallas on the same day as the Cotton Bowl Classic would be very tough to do, so you’re going to need to find a place to stay.

Surprisingly, this may end up being the cheapest and most straightforward part of your trip. The Arlington area is swarmed with hotels that start in the lower $100 range for one night. Dallas and Fort Worth have even more hotel options but are just a bit further away from the stadium.

Since it’s 2019, you can also look to grab an Airbnb near the stadium, which could potentially be cheaper, nicer, and more convenient. There are all sorts of options available in the area, so you should be able to find luck if you go this route.

Tailgating

The most important part of your trip (read: tailgating) is thankfully allowed at AT&T Stadium, but there are a decent amount of guidelines you’ll need to follow.

Tailgating is permitted in the majority of the stadium’s 15 numbered lots and is allowed from when the lots opening until two hours after kickoff (1 p.m. local time).

Here’s a full list of rules and guidelines from the stadium’s website:

• Tailgating spaces are for vehicles only. Parking spaces may not be used for tents, grills, chairs or other items. Each vehicle must have a valid parking permit.
• Tailgating is defined as the placement of any item on the ground (chairs, coolers, grills, games, etc.).
• Tailgating is only permitted in the grass areas on the perimeter of the parking lots. The maximum area that any single tailgate space may occupy is 9-feet wide and 12-feet deep.
• Tailgating must be confined to the area adjacent to the end of the designated tailgating vehicle parking space (maximum of 12 feet from the rear of the parking vehicle).
• Any grass areas beyond the designated tailgating spaces are considered common ground and may be used by other guests for tailgating or picnicking activities.
• Tailgating is not permitted in Lot 3, portions of Lot 5, Lot 8, and Lot 9.
• Tailgating is permitted from the time the lots open and up to two (2) hours following Dallas Cowboys or college football games.
• All guests must follow the directions and instructions provided by stadium personnel (parking staff, security, police, etc.).
• Dispose of trash in the appropriate receptacles.
• Coals must be disposed of in the designated coal containers located throughout the lots. Do not dump coals or store stoves on the grass, parking areas, under or around vehicles.
• The following items/activities are prohibited:
  • Deep fryers or any oil-based cooking or frying
  • Open flame fires of any kind. Charcoal or gas cooking is permitted.
  • Disorderly conduct
  • Picketing, political campaigning or soliciting/distribution of any kind
  • Saving parking or tailgating spaces
  • Weapons and fireworks
  • Sale of food, beverage, merchandise, etc.
  • Advertising or promoting any third party products (including but not limited to food and beverage products)
  • Amplified sound systems or the use of radios/audio devices at loud levels.

Official Penn State Travel Packages

If planning this trip seems overwhelming to you, Penn State is offering a variety of travel packages through Anthony Travel that would do all the work for you. These packages include different combination bundles of airfare, hotel arrangements, tickets, gameday transportation, and more.