OT-Rich people problems: Is home game fatigue a thing?

[srru86]

ABE Morning Call
Penn State's home schedule a 'challenge,' but not in the conventional sense
Is five straight home games a reason to worry for Penn State fans and admins? It certainly wouldn't deter me if that applied here. I don't see it being an issue, but there are many things about the PSU fanbase I don't understand.

 

[TonyLieske]

I don't think i could attend 5 straight home games.

 

[PSU_Nut]

ABE Morning Call
Penn State's home schedule a 'challenge,' but not in the conventional sense
Is five straight home games a reason to worry for Penn State fans and admins? It certainly wouldn't deter me if that applied here. I don't see it being an issue, but there are many things about the PSU fanbase I don't understand.

The big difference is the distance people travel to games. I am willing to bet the majority of Rutgers fans attending the game come from an hour radius of campus. How ever at penn state the majority are traveling 3+ hrs. The two counties with the largest number of penn state alumni is allegheny county (Pittsburgh) and Chester county outside of Philadelphia. They are both 3 hr drive on games day. So for a noon game even with a small tailgate you leave 6-7 am and then after the game by the time you out of the stadium back to the car and get out of the parking lot it already 4:30 so your getting home at best 7:30. It makes for a long day. Add in a night game where It taken me 3 hrs to get out of the parking lot from then end of the game sometimes you just need a break.

 

[vkj91]

I would find it a bit fatiguing. For your typical home game I hit up Costco on Tuesday, start cooking Thursday, Friday cook and load up the RV, Saturday tailgate all day , and spend Sunday cleaning everything. Five weeks in a row is a lot.

 

[bac2therac]

Yes...5 weekend home games in a row is overkill and you lose some of the joy

 

[derleider]

Yes - of course its a thing. We see it here in the early season - when we usually have 3 weaker games in the first 6-7 weeks - and unless there is some major incentive (homecoming) the turnout gets worse for each.

 

[RU1977]

Where's the best place to park so it doesn't take 3 hrs to get out of the parking lot after a night game/

 

[RUnTeX]

Where's the best place to park so it doesn't take 3 hrs to get out of the parking lot after a night game/

Harrisburg, LOL!

 

[RUChoppin]

I'm still just trying to get over the fact that we play all Saturday games for the first time since 2003.

 

[srru86]

The big difference is the distance people travel to games. /QUOTE]

My bad in forgetting State College is in the middle of nowhere.

 

[RU1977]

Does it really take 3 hrs to get out of the parking lot for a night game? Maybe I made the wrong choice for an away game? Din't take long to get out of the parking lot after the Ohio St game, but many people left early due to the score and the weather.....

 

[PSU_Nut]

Does it really take 3 hrs to get out of the parking lot for a night game? Maybe I made the wrong choice for an away game? Din't take long to get out of the parking lot after the Ohio St game, but many people left early due to the score and the weather.....

The problem with night games is almost everyone leaves right after the game. Normally it spread out with some people staying to tailgate or walk down town. The 3 hour was the time it took to leave the stadium get back to the car and get out of state college. I was stuck in the way back of a lot. Normally it about 1 hr from most lots. If you don't want to get stuck arrive early so your not in the way back of the lot. Also consider a satellite lot. What I now do for night games is park in one of the garages on campus and I can be out in no time. There also many shuttle lots which can save you a ton of time. If you staying in State college consider taking a hotel shuttle. There is a street fair set up with food vendors to eat from. I will post more specifics closer to game time.

 

[PSU_Nut]

Where's the best place to park so it doesn't take 3 hrs to get out of the parking lot after a night game/

The further from the stadium the better. Try to arrive early and get in the front of the lots. The satellite lots provide an easy and quick exit. There also parking garages on campus and downtown.

 

[Ole Cabbagehead]

I would find it a bit fatiguing. For your typical home game I hit up Costco on Tuesday, start cooking Thursday, Friday cook and load up the RV, Saturday tailgate all day , and spend Sunday cleaning everything. Five weeks in a row is a lot.

Same for me. I run a tailgate for 15-20. 5 home games in a row would be brutal. I think we had 4 games in 5 week to start last year, and I remember looking forward to the away slate.

 

[GoodOl'Rutgers]

Hmmm.. pets-sitting needed? baby-sitting needed? yeah, I can see 5 weekends in a row of no time for chores and having to make arrangements for pets and children and the elderly not attending could be a problem. We are lucky here in that so many of us live within an hour's drive of the stadium. We can do chores in the AM and so on and be back before the pets need to go out.

 

[RUChoppin]

Yeah, we're pretty spoiled with regard to distance from the stadium compared to some schools.

I wonder if there could ever be a metric on that - average season ticketholder distance from stadium, by team. I'm sure Rutgers could do it if they wanted to, but would be interesting to see comparisons to other schools.

On days I can't tailgate, I can leave the house 30 min before kickoff and be in my seat without missing anything... and I'm usually back home 30-45 min after the game ends.

 

[RUaMoose]

The further from the stadium the better. Try to arrive early and get in the front of the lots. The satellite lots provide an easy and quick exit. There also parking garages on campus and downtown.

That's pretty standard anywhere. I used to park at the northern tip of Busch and hike it 20 min so I could easily get out after the game. Extra bonus was it was free. I despise siting in traffic.

 

[lighty]

PSU_Nut is totally right. If anyone has ever gone to a game at Penn State and driven from Jersey you're likely to have seen a wave of winnebagos. It's like an entire city travels to each game. It would be great to see RU get that kind of fan support from those outside of the area.

 

[sherrane]

ABE Morning Call
Penn State's home schedule a 'challenge,' but not in the conventional sense
Is five straight home games a reason to worry for Penn State fans and admins? It certainly wouldn't deter me if that applied here. I don't see it being an issue, but there are many things about the PSU fanbase I don't understand.

What is your game day like? Tailgating? Food preparation? Take young kids to the games? If you spend all day at RU or if you have young children, spending 5 consecutive Saturdays could be a bit of a drain, especially considering the 5th game is homecoming. With their opener at Temple, they essentially 6 straight home games for quite a few fans. It wouldn't surprise me if the Temple game has less attendance then Temple anticipated since they have that stretch of home games after it.

I'll admit this article influenced me to really examine PSU's schedule this year. 8 home games + a road game at Temple... seems like a Florida schedule. Their only "three road games" are at Ohio State (10/17), at Northwestern (11/7), and at Michigan State (11/28). I would have loved that schedule prior to becoming a father and now as an empty nester if I still lived in NJ. With young children I would definitely stayed home for at least one of the first 6.

 

[PSU_Nut]

I'll admit this article influenced me to really examine PSU's schedule this year. 8 home games + a road game at Temple... seems like a Florida schedule. Their only "three road games" are at Ohio State (10/17), at Northwestern (11/7), and at Michigan State (11/28). I would have loved that schedule prior to becoming a father and now as an empty nester if I still lived in NJ. With young children I would definitely stayed home for at least one of the first 6.

Penn State has 7 home games. You missed the game at Maryland in Baltimore.

 

[jason21psu]

Penn State has 7 home games. You missed the game at Maryland in Baltimore.

Yeah MD probably should be considered similar to Temple, it's a road game but only in the technical sense of the word :)

 

[VA_Lion]

I drive 6 hrs from RVA for each home game. I will only miss the home opener because it's my beach week. Plus going to the Maryland game in Balamore.

I can't wait for the season to start. Don't mind the drive and the wife helps drive. Being an empty nester helps. Will stay motivated and grind on through the season, but by January will enjoy the break from driving and cleaning up and packing the tailgate gear each weekend.

 

[Lions8286]

Where's the best place to park so it doesn't take 3 hrs to get out of the parking lot after a night game/

A serious answer to your question, plug these coordinates into Google Maps. 40.816880, -77.846863 .

This is where I park when I want to get out quickly. Enter off Route 26 (you cannot get there of I-99, traffic will be re-routed on game day). There will be a parking lot entrance off Orchard Rd. DO NOT PULL ALL THE WAY INTO THE LOTS with the other fans. make a right as soon as you pull off the road. There will be a handful of cars parked there, usually the people who run the parking lot. Park next to them. It takes me a few minutes to get out after the games. It is a relatively long walk, but you will make up for it in waiting time. You can tailgate there if you wish. It will fill in as the day goes on.

And yes, it's a cow pasture.

Another recommendation...make sure you get a prepaid parking pass. You cannot park there without one and you will be gouged if you have to pay cash at the lot.

 

[srru86]

What is your game day like? Tailgating? Food preparation?

Yes to both. I don't bring kids to the game, thought others in my party do.

 

[srru86]

A serious answer to your question, plug these coordinates into Google Maps. 40.816880, -77.846863 .

This is where I park when I want to get out quickly.

Another recommendation...make sure you get a prepaid parking pass. You cannot park there without one and you will be gouged if you have to pay cash at the lot.

I have the first day PSU athletics sells single game parking on my calendar, is this one of those lots?

 

[Lions8286]

I have the first day PSU athletics sells single game parking on my calendar, is this one of those lots?

Yes, you will need a yellow parking pass, although I think that's all you can buy from the school anyway. You can usually buy them from scalpers along the way too if necessary.

One caveat, they tend to make small changes to parking every year, so who knows what will change this year. I doubt they change any of this though. If by chance we get A LOT of rain the week of the game, they could potentially close that lot. I have seen that happen in the past. Pretty steep hill to traverse.

When you leave the lot, you can go either left (to I-99) or right (to route 26). It's a roll of the dice from that point, but I usually go right to 26, backtracking the way you came in.

Good luck, enjoy your trip....but not too much.

 

[PSU_Nut]

I have the first day PSU athletics sells single game parking on my calendar, is this one of those lots?

Yes. Don't worry about the first day. They don't sell out of them. Just make sure it 10 days prior to the game. Also don't be conned on ebay or other sites. A Yellow Parking Pass is just a prepaid parking pass. It not preferred but there are sellers out there who try to take advantage of people.



1. Call 1-800-NITTANY (1-800-648-8269)

• Advanced purchases should be made at least 10 days prior to the game (
  Rutgers Wed., September 9 @ 5 pm Wed) to avoid express mail fees and ensure timely delivery via standard US Mail.
• Service fees will apply to phone orders: $5 / season pass or $2.25 / per individual pass for standard US Mail.
• Express Mail option is available for a $15 fee. (Rutgers deadline Wed., September 16 @ noon)
• You may purchase a maximum of (3) season passes or (3) passes for any individual game.

2. Visit the Athletic Ticket Office in Person

• The Athletic Ticket office is located in the Bryce Jordan Center and is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. The Athletic Ticket Office will NOT be open on Gamedays to sell parking passes, but you may buy at the Stadium Ticket Office at Gate E for future games.
• The Athletics Ticket staff can sell parking until 4:30 p.m. on the Friday before the game. The Bryce Jordan Center main ticket windows remain open until 6 p.m.
• There will be no service fees applied for 'walk-up' sales.
• You may purchase a maximum of (3) season passes or (3) passes for any individual game.

Family Friendly Parking
This is a great option if you want a quiet lot if you don't mind no alcohol. It is close to the stadium and many players parents park in it both home and away parents. Nice grassy area for kids to play in. It can be difficult to exit after the game so plan on 60-90 minutes sitting in traffic.

A standard parking pass is required along with a game specific Family Friendly pass. There is no additional charge for the tag, but it must be requested at least 10 days in advance by calling a Penn State Athletics Customer Relations Representative at 1-800-NITTANY (1-800-648-8269). Please note the ordering deadlines section above. Passes may also be picked up in person at the Bryce Jordan Center Ticket Office.