Penn State’s Stadium: Dangerous 2022 White Out

Penn State’s Stadium: Student Ambush

According to Penn State Football’s official Twitter, the number in attendance was 109,813 fans. The number may not be completely accurate though. Before the game began, there were students who entered Penn State’s stadium without tickets. How did this happen? Thousands of students arrived at Beaver Stadium early in order to rush into the building and push right past the security. Penn State’s Stadium security had no way of stopping them. This led to thousands of students getting in for free, taking away from those who did pay.

Penn State’s Stadium: The Student Section

The Student Section in Penn State’s stadium is a fantastic experience. There is always a rush for the best seats, and it is constantly full of energy. With how great it is, that comes with a high demand of students wanting tickets. Every year the tickets sell out quickly, leaving many without. This year, hundreds of students were denied entrance to the White Out, despite paying for their seats.

In the 2021 White Out, there was also an overload of students. There was an issue where it is so packed that the aisle to walk was filled with students who had no seats. This is due to large groups sneaking into the section to watch the game. The crowded aisles are a huge safety hazard, which also has caused some students to fear watching the game in this section. It has most likely happened for many years, but this season hundreds of students who paid were turned away not able to enter to watch the game.

Through the ambush, many students found a way to sneak into the student section. This led security to prevent fans from entering the area, not caring about their tickets. Penn State students who have attended every home game due to buying tickets the correct way were turned down, despite having real tickets. If fans were not sneaking in, those who paid could have enjoyed the White Out they were supposed to.

Reaction to Penn State’s Stadium Experience

This was a horrible experience for those who paid for their tickets but were still denied entry. One Penn State student explained they missed the entire first quarter because they were seeking help since six o’clock when they entered. They entered only an hour and a half before kickoff, not wanting a seat right in the front. Security turned the fan and their friends, who also had paid tickets, away. By the second quarter of the game, they found the guest services and a kind worker helped them get into different seats.

These students were fortunate to find a kind woman who could help them. One student stated she knew it was not the woman’s fault so spoke calmly to her which helped. The worker explained that people were yelling and cursing at her the entire time, and that is not how to handle the situation; however, anger at the situation is justified. While the students were able to find seats by the second quarter and had a great time after that, it was still a horrible couple of hours for them to not be allowed in an area they bought tickets for.

One student has already sold their student section ticket for next week’s stripe out vs Ohio State. They did this because of how poor of an experience they had during the White Out, and did not want to go through that stress again. While the stripe out is nowhere near as popular as the White Out, it is still a big game against Ohio State.

Other students have also debated selling their tickets for next week but decided not to. While they want to be there to support their team, they are scared to lose out on their seats and have another poor experience. The students are currently looking for ways to voice their concerns, just so the university knows it was a stressful situation. To think, in the hundreds turned away, many fans could have been in their final year at Penn State, forced to miss their last White Out in the student section.

Penn State’s Stadium: Ways to Improve

There was nothing the security could have done to stop students from ambushing. There were multiple entry gates being stampeded at once, not just the main one students use each week to enter. It is understandable that a couple of security guards cannot stop them, but they can check for tickets once in the student section.

During a normal game, there are people who check for student tickets before they can enter the area, but it can be assumed that did not work over the weekend. People also have their ways of sneaking in. Once there are fans already in their seats, there could be someone to enter the student section and ask to see their tickets if the area gets too crowded.

If a fan does not have a ticket to be in that section of Penn State’s stadium, they should be asked to leave. If a fan resists leaving, the stadium has the right to kick them out and should act on that to keep the White Out a fun experience for fans. It is understandable for people to want to be in an exciting space, but unfair to those who woke up early to spend the money on season tickets.

The Nittany Lions will next face Ohio State at Penn State’s Stadium for their Stripe Out, in hopes to pull an upset and walk out with a win.

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For more college football content, check out my article on the famous Penn State Whiteout, and its importance to the school. Also, check out my most recent article on Rutgers’ first Big Ten home win since 2017.