Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/88420
"The changes this year are put into place with two goals in mind," acting athletic director Dr. David Joyner said in a news release. "One, offer our fans additional, more appealing op- tions in order to maximize the num- ber of Nittany Lion fans coming to Beaver Stadium and cheering on our team each week, and two, grow the revenues needed to maintain – in an increasingly difficult climate – the ex- cellent competitive and classroom performance that Penn Staters every- where expect." A significant new initiative is the One Team Commitment, a five-year membership to the NLC that is open to both current members and those interested in joining. It qualifies a member for football season ticket benefits and allows a member to earn NLC bonus points each year they do- nate. Those who choose the five-year membership will earn double the NLC bonus points for their annual contri- bution each year they fulfill their commitment, as well as an additional 50 NLC bonus points upon comple- tion. The One Team Commitment also assures seat holders that annual do- nations will not exceed the 2013 price levels during their five-year commit- ment. "Our fans have been tremendously supportive over the past several months," O'Brien said, "and they've already made a difference for our kids this season. We need that going for- ward, because every student on every one of our teams deserves the best Penn State has to offer." STEP has been polarizing since it was first implemented in 2011. The Nittany Lions' average crowd of 101,427 that year was their lowest in more than a decade, a decline of 2,807 fans per game from 2010 and 6,827 per game from 2008, the Nit- tany Lions' most recent Rose Bowl season. Thus far in 2012, the trend appears to be continuing. Through its first four home games, Penn State aver- aged 96,356 fans – more than 5,000 fewer per game than in 2011. Accord- ing to a recent report by ESPN, searches for Penn State football tick- ets on the resale website Tickets- now.com are down 62 percent for the 2012 season. Average ticket sales through the first three games were down 45 percent, and the ticket search site TiqIQ.com stated that the average listed price for a Penn State ticket through the fourth week of the season was down 38 percent com- pared to last season. Speaking to the Centre Daily Times after the Northwestern game, Joyner noted that the NCAA sanctions and STEP aren't the only factors working against Penn State as it looks to bol- ster its attendance. "The economy has a lot to do with it," he said, "along with 55-inch, high-definition, big-screen TVs." The Nittany Lions are certain to get a boost with Ohio State headed to University Park, and Joyner said the team's recent four-game winning streak is also likely to help. "I think our fans are seeing a pretty good product on the field so far this year," he told the CDT. "Bill and his staff are doing a great job. The kids are playing hard. That's a quality team there in Northwestern. And the way we played, I think, is going to get people excited." 2013 BEAVER STADIUM SEATING CHART SUITES N GATE E NKU NJU NHU NGU NFU NEU NDU NCU NBU NAU GATE C WJU WHU WGU WFU WEU WDU WCU WBU PRESS BOX Penn State Students Mt. Nittany Club *See donation note below Visiting Team Football Lettermen *Note: Mt. Nittany Club seat holders are required to make a NLC donation based on $100 per seat or based on their quantity of tickets. This donation is independent of their club seat lease. Rev. Date 9/23/12 WAU NLU NK NJ NG NH NE NF ND NC NB NA WJ WH WG WF WE WD WC WB WA SK NL EJU EHU EGU EFU EEU EDU ECU EJ EH EG EF EE ED EC EBU EAU GATE A EB EA SA SB SE SD SC SF SG SH SJ SLC GATE B SAC SBC SCC SDC SEC SFC SGC SHC SJC SKC SLU SKU SAU SBU SCU SHU SGU SFU SEU SDU SJU ANNUAL SEAT EQUITY DONATIONS Sideline Seatback $2,000/seat $600/seat $400/seat $200/seat $100/seat GATE D