Penn State really shouldn't play Pitt

[abpk2903]

One month from today Pitt hosts Penn State. Now, I am as biased as they come but I really don't think Penn State should ever renew a series with the Panthers after this 2 and 2 series is complete unless Pitt is willing to give Penn State more home games in the series.

For months, Penn State fans have worked out ways to get tickets. Some bought season tickets, some bought single game tickets from a 3rd party seller (StubHub, Seat Geek, ect.), a few were able to buy through NLC (needed at least 1,000 points) and some have worked out deals with friends and family that actually hold Pitt season tickets (the few dozen that exist). Personally, I bought 2 tickets in the upper deck of the closed endzone for $502. Long story short, thanks to this series Pitt finally has sold out Heinz field. 

Look at eBay. You can buy season tickets for Pitt minus the PSU game for like $50. For goodness sakes, you can buy tickets for Virginia Tech in primetime for $6 right now on StubHub.

Yet Penn State fans are buying season tickets for $200+ plus a donation to the Panther Club (didn't know such a thing existed) just to get tickets to this game. 

This is why JoePa put a stop to this series. Why should Penn State fans fund a program that is going to use those funds to ultimately compete against Penn State for the same coaches and recruits?

Please point me to where this series at all benefits Penn State. It's not like if Penn State ever did have a team that was competing for the 4 playoff spots that a victory over Pitt in early September will be pointed to as a "marquee" victory. It's not like Penn State will sell a ton more season ticket plans for playing this series. This series doesn't open up a new recruiting hotbed for the Nittany Lions, Penn State has cherry picked talent from the WPIAL for years. Ultimately all this does is gives their in-state recruiting rival a huge boost in both financial income and the appearance that their fan base isn't as dead as it really is.  Penn State benefits more with upcoming 1 and 1's with Virginia Tech and Auburn than this series.

At the end of the day, Penn State plays Ohio State, Iowa, and Michigan State all at home. Those are all teams expected to be well within the top 25 all year. They also travel to Michigan. Maryland has started to recruit some big time players and will be a rivalry for years to come. Can we stop this non-sense with Pitt? This isn't 1979 anymore. If Pitt wants to play Penn State, then it should be set up kind of like the Temple series. 3 games in State College for every game at Heinz field. Or at least a 3 and 2.

[knowitall]

You might be an idiot if you would buy season tickets just so you  don't miss a single game.  The game, afterall, will be televised.  Get a life, Penn State fans!

[Crimson's Ghost]

Thanks for your donation!

The only Penn State home games that will be sell outs the next 3 years will be Ohio State, Michigan, and you guessed it....Pitt. So you're welcome for that sellout next September. 

[Crimson's Ghost]

Penn State's team has been bad for years, the only thing they have over Pitt is having better fan support, and they really cling to that.

If that's Penn State's true feelings, the smarter thing to do would be to spend your hard earned cash and go see them play Temple. I get popups all the time Penn State season tickets are for sale. It would make sense to get 107,000 in the stands for that one instead of the 96,000 that will show. The best way to cancel the Pitt series is to not support it. Let the stadium go half empty with Pitt fans. That's the way to do it. Id never give a dime of my own money willingly to Penn State, it's shocking how Penn State fans don't feel the same way.. 

But again it's the arrogance, they cling to that having better fan support notion and its overwhelming. They just can't let it go. Any chance to rub Pitt's nose in it, they can. 


So if Paterno cancelled the game for these reasons, the original post's main theme is why Pitt never will agree to a 2 for 1. 

[abpk2903]

Selling out your own 107,000 seat stadium with your own fans is a lot different than selling out a borrowed stadium with someone else's 64,000 fans.

I don't want to watch on TV. 

Finally, say what you want about the recent success of Penn State. They just went through the most crippling sanctions in the history of college sports and still won more games than Pitt. They also did so while playing in arguably the most difficult division in college football (SEC west or B1G East). Pitt on the other hand probably plays in the weakest division of all the major conferences.

Speaking of clinging. Pitt fans know what that's like because the few Pitt fans that are left have been clinging to 1979 for nearly half a century. 

[Crimson's Ghost]

Since the turn of the century Penn State has won like 4 more games than Pitt.

107K Strong, 97 K Strong what's the difference, at least we have more fans than Pitt!

[abpk2903]

They still have won more games right? This is even after Penn State played through the biggest sanctions in the history of college sports.

This is the worst 15 year stretch in the history of Penn State's program yet they still are outpacing their in-state "rival". Let's not mention Penn State has won those games playing in a real big-boy conference. Could you imagine the gap if Penn State got to play in the Big Easy and ACC Coastthru division?

[Crimson's Ghost]

Maybe they can join the AAC East with their real rival, Temple! 

[knowitall]

What's so great about the Big Ten?  Besides Ohio State. 

[12HankQB]

I really wish Pitt, Penn State, and WVU played each other every year. What could be better in Western PA? I'd much rather see these teams play each other than Temple, UNC, and Oklahoma. Build a Beaver sized stadium in Westmoreland County and host these games as well as the WPIAL Championships, PIAA Championships...I'm a dreamer.