How to Avoid Penn State Football Ticket Scams

Penn State Police urges caution to Nittany Lions fans when buying football tickets online.

A general view of Beaver Stadium prior to a 2023 Nittany Lions football game. / Matthew O'Haren-USA TODAY Sports

Penn State football fans should be cautious about buying tickets online, police said, as ticket scams have become more prevalent in the past few years. As the Nittany Lions prepare for their season-opener against West Virginia on Aug. 31, Penn State Police offered some tips to help fans assure that their football tickets are legitimate.

Ticket scammers use platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and GroupMe to peddle fake tickets, Penn State Police said. They create accounts to offer fraudulent tickets, often with doctored photos, and ask for payments using methods other than credit card or bank accounts. Last year, buyers reported 99 incidents of fake tickets being purchased, police said.

“Most often we are seeing students being asked to pay for tickets via a platform like Venmo or Zelle, which are often complicated for law enforcement to track during an investigation,” Wesley Sheets, chief of Penn State University Police and Public Safety, said in a statement. "After payment is received, the seller’s account is then deleted and victims are unable to account for the fraudulent purchase.”

To avoid potential scams, Penn State football fans should buy tickets only through authorized sellers, police said. The two authorized sellers for Penn State football tickets are the Athletic Office and Ticketmaster. Fans who believe they might be a victim of a ticket scam should report the issue to Penn State Police (814-863-1111) or online at police.psu.edu/report-crime.

Single-game tickets for Penn State football are on sale for all seven home games at Beaver Stadium. Parking passes are available here. Penn State uses mobile ticketing and encourages fans to download the latest version of its app.

Penn State opens the 2024 season Aug. 31 at West Virginia. Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET on FOX. Tickets for the game are available through West Virginia's Ticketmaster site. Penn State plays its first home game of the season Sept. 7 against Bowling Green. Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET.

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Penn State on SI is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on X (or Twitter) @MarkWogenrich.