Getting antsy for college football, yet?
With kick-off times set to start rolling in shortly, it’s just about time to start planning trips to see Penn State football in action this season. While the home schedule features Oregon and Indiana as marquee games, there are plenty of manageable trips to see the Nittany Lions on the road, too.
Saturday, October 4 @ UCLA
Flight: $150 from New York, $170 from Philadelphia, $309 from State College (connecting)
Hotel: Ramada by Wyndham Pasadena: $127/night, Hilton Pasadena: $313/night
Get-In Price: $198
The first away game on Penn State’s calendar is an exciting one. While UCLA might turn this one into a snooze fest, a cheap October trip to Los Angeles and a visit to the Rose Bowl sounds enticing. Budget airlines make this trip quite affordable, but you won’t have to pay much more to upgrade to American Airlines, which connects through Philly from State College for a manageable price.
You’ll be staying in the country’s second-biggest city by population, so there will be no shortage of things to do or places to stay. Public transit in LA is good enough that you probably could get away without renting a car.
Saturday, October 18 @ Iowa
Flight: $370 from Philadelphia ($613 nonstop), $330 from Pittsburgh (connecting), $448 from New York (connecting)
Hotel: Hampton Inn Iowa City: $452/night, Drury Inn Coralville: $199/night, Days Inn Cedar Rapids: $54/night
Get-In Price: $140
Believe it or not, there’s a direct flight from Philadelphia to Iowa City. The connecting options aren’t bad, either, as they’re all under five hours. If you’re a psychopath, the drive from State College to Iowa City is about 12 and a half hours. I did it in 2021 and was rewarded with two and a half quarters of Taquan Roberson.
Unfortunately, the hotel situation is pretty brutal. You can find cheaper options the further you get away from the stadium, but then a rental car will probably come into play. Downtown Iowa City has a big strip of bars for college kids and old heads alike. With Penn State in town, the city will surely be a good time the night before the game. Hawkeye hospitality is not promised.
Saturday, November 1 @ Ohio State
Flight: $175 from New York, $219 from State College (connecting), $373 from Philadelphia
Hotel: Red Roof Ohio State University: $93/night, Hyatt House Columbus: $374/night
Get-In Price: $224
Columbus has the benefit of being an actual city, so flights into town are pretty affordable. Plus, driving from anywhere in Pennsylvania or the East Coast isn’t a tall order — it’s about five hours from State College and under three from Pittsburgh. Hotels in the campus part of town are already booked out or very expensive, but some affordable options still remain. I distinctly remember paying more than $100 for an Uber on a Friday night in Columbus a few years back, so it might be worth forking over the extra cash to be closer to campus.
There’s great nightlife in Columbus, especially on game weekends. You can get in the mix with students at Midway or take it easy downtown at the aptly named Land-Grant Brewing Company.
Saturday, November 15 @ Michigan State
Flight: $98 from Baltimore to Detroit, $299 from New York to Lansing (connecting), $307 from Philadelphia to Lansing (connecting)
Hotel: Candlewood Suites East Lansing: $234/night, Quality Inn University: $197/night
Get-In Price: $132
Who doesn’t love East Lansing in November? Airlines, apparently. The only direct flights into Lansing are from Chicago, Detroit, D.C., Orlando, and Fort Myers. Your best bet will be flying into Detroit and making the hour drive over to Spartan Country or connecting through Chicago. You can make the seven and a half hour drive from State College if you’d like, too.
This probably is not the cheapest nor the most appealing trip on the calendar. But seeing the Nittany Lions hoist the Land-Grant Trophy in person? Priceless.
Saturday, November 29 @ Rutgers
Flight: Dulles to Newark: $129, Pittsburgh to Newark: $251
Hotel: Hilton Piscataway Somerset: $233/night, Amwell Suites Somerset: $105
Get-In Price: $128
This is probably the easiest road trip for most folks on the East Coast. Piscataway is basically in the New York metro area, which makes lodging plentiful and cheap if you want a budget option. It’s a three and a half hour drive from State College, and just north of an hour from Philly. Folks flying into Newark can take New Jersey Transit into New Brunswick and get to the stadium via gameday shuttles.
I was quite impressed with Rutgers’ gameday atmosphere when I visited in 2022 and am eyeing this game up myself. The tailgating scene doesn’t quite rival Penn State, but the “boardwalk” setup makes for a great pre-game setup.