Penn State's Headed to the Orange Bowl. Here's What You Need to Know

The Nittany Lions continue their memorable season with a trip to Miami Gardens for the College Football Playoff semifinals.

The Penn State Nittany Lions celebrate their 31-14 win over the Boise State Broncos in the Fiesta Bowl at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz. / Joe Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Penn State's memorable 2024 season rolls into the new year, as the Nittany Lions became the first team to qualify for the College Football Playoff semifinals. With a 31-14 win over Boise State in the Fiesta Bowl on New Year's Eve, Penn State football earned a date in the Orange Bowl, one of two semifinal games.

Preprarations already are underway, so here's what you need to know about the 2025 Orange Bowl.

When is the Orange Bowl?

The Orange Bowl is scheduled for Jan. 9 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Garden, Florida. It will serve as one of two semifinal games for the College Football Playoff. Ohio State faces Texas in the Cotton Bowl on Jan. 10.

ESPN's broadcast of the Orange Bowl is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET.

Who is Penn State playing in the Orange Bowl?

Penn State's opponent will be decided Jan. 2, as the Sugar Bowl was postponed after a New Year's Day attack in New Orleans that authorities are investigating as terrorism. Notre Dame meets Georgia in the quarterfinal playoff game.

How to get Orange Bowl tickets

Penn State fans have until 5 p.m. ET Jan. 2 to request Orange Bowl tickets through the official sales window. Season-ticket holders, Nittany Lion Club members and Penn State Alumni Association members, in that order, have priority in the ticketing process. For more information, visit Ticketmaster. Penn State students have access to free tickets as part of a promotion with Taco Bell. Students can make ticket requests until 5 p.m. ET Thursday.

Early ticket pricing on the secondary market begins at about $200, according to StubHub.

How did Penn State make the Orange Bowl?

The Nittany Lions earned their first semifinal berth with a pair of playoff victories over SMU and Boise State. Penn State took care of the Mustangs 38-10 on Dec. 21 at Beaver Stadium in the program's first home playoff game.

What is the Orange Bowl schedule?

The Orange Bowl will host several fan events ahead of the game. The Orange Bowl Pep Rally is scheduled for 5:30-8:30 p.m. ET Jan. 8 in Miami Beach and will feature bands, cheerleaders and more. On gameday, the Capital One Orange Bowl Fan Fest will be held from 2:30-6:30 p.m. ET outside Hard Rock Stadium. It's free for ticket-holders. Kickoff for the Orange Bowl will be around 7:40 p.m. Jan. 9.

What is Penn State's record in the Orange Bowl?

The Nittany Lions have a storied Orange Bowl history dating to consecutive appearances during the late 1960s win streak. Penn State is 4-1 in the Orange Bowl, making its most recent appearance in 2006. Joe Paterno's 2005 team, which won its first Big Ten title since 1994, outlasted Bobby Bowden and Florida State 26-23 in three overtimes.

Penn State won back-to-back Orange Bowls in 1969 (15-14 over Kansas) and 1970 (10-3 over Missouri). Those bowl wins were part of consecutive 11-0 seasons and a 23-game win streak, the longest in program history. Penn State's lone Orange Bowl loss also decided a national championship. Oklahoma defeated No. 1 and unbeaten Penn State 25-10 in the 1986 Orange Bowl.

Four Nittany Lions represent Penn State in the Orange Bowl Hall of Fame: Paterno, John Cappelletti, Mike Reid and Franco Harris.

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