Penn State football is known for a lot of things. Exciting? Absolutely. Heartbreaking? You bet.

But one word has been getting thrown around more and more recently: expensive.

With the new Beaver Stadium renovations set to raise ticket prices for 2027, we decided to look at what a Nittany Lion football experience costs today.

Let’s start with the ticket prices. For a lower-bowl seat against a Big Ten opponent, such as Penn State’s game versus Minnesota on November 14, prices range from $75 to $125.

You don’t need to sit close to the action, but a verified resale ticket in the upper section across from the student section would still cost about $35.

Perfect, now you can get into the game. That’s just the tip of the experience iceberg.

If you’re not a State College resident, getting to the game costs money.

Penn State fans are located all over the country. For the sake of argument, we’ll take the average fan from Allentown, Pennsylvania, a city where nearly half of its population supports the blue and white.

The drive from Allentown to State College is about 165 miles. With a Pennsylvania average of $4.51 per gallon and a car’s typical fuel economy of 28 miles per gallon, it would take about $26.50 in gas to make it to the stadium.

If you’re not within a reasonable driving distance, flying might be the best option, even if it hurts your wallet.

Round-trip flights into (and eventually out of) State College fluctuate a lot, but we’ll chalk it up to $500 for this method of travel.

Congratulations! You have arrived, and you’re ready to begin a fun morning of tailgating.

Except … you don’t have anywhere to park your car. Tack on another $50 for a parking spot.

Now, what good is a tailgate without food and drink? A group of four people would likely bring about $150 worth of these items. Assuming we can split this cost evenly, your pre-game refreshments will cost about $38.

The clock strikes noon. Penn State is ready to kick off an action-packed 60 minutes of football.

You make it into the stadium and begin walking to your seat, but an enticing aroma is wafting through the air.

The Happy Valley chicken tender basket is practically calling your name. You’re going to need lunch anyway, so you might as well get in line.

You tap your card at the counter. $17.25 for the chicken tenders and fries, plus $5.50 for a bottle of water to wash it all down.

After a couple of hours, it’s now 3:30 p.m. You file out of the stadium with thousands of other fans, either elated or heartbroken—with no in-between.

As the afternoon begins to blend into the evening, the fall air turns cool. Your short-sleeved Penn State shirt is no longer keeping you warm, and you didn’t bring a jacket.

This seems like a good time to both update your Nittany Lion apparel and stay comfortable for the night. You go to McLanahan’s downtown for a stylish sweatshirt. You find one for about $60.

For some, the experience ends there. The game is over, and if you leave now, you might get home in time for a late dinner.

However, many choose to save the drive for Sunday and stay the night. If you do and you stay in a hotel near State College, that’ll add another dent to your total.

On a game-day weekend, a single room will cost $350 a night and that’s on the cheap end.

So, there you have it: The Penn State football game day experience. Now for the final total.

If you drive to State College on Saturday morning, tailgate before the game, watch from your upper-deck seat, and buy food and some apparel afterward, you’ll spend about $232.50.

This scenario avoids a lot of the pricey alternatives listed above. Let’s look at one that includes them.

In this hypothetical, you fly into State College on Friday, stay the night in a hotel, watch the game on Saturday from a lower-bowl seat, stay in the same hotel that night, and fly back home Sunday morning.

Including the price of tailgating, food, and that souvenir sweatshirt, this experience would cost just over $1,445.

For reference, $1,445 could buy you one scoop of all 120 Berkey Creamery ice cream flavors. Twice.