UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa., June 9, 2006 - Season ticket sales for the 2006 Penn State football season are on a record-setting pace, with more than 5,000 new season tickets having been sold.

More than 98 percent of current season ticket holders are returning to Beaver Stadium this fall, the highest renewal rate since 2001, the Nittany Lions' first season in an expanded Beaver Stadium, which has a capacity of 107,282, second-largest in the nation.

Additionally, more than 14,000 student season football tickets have been sold since they went on sale on June 2. Penn State's large and loud student section is the nation's second largest at just over 20,000. ESPN's College Gameday crew has called the Nittany Lions' enthusiastic student throng the "best student section" in the nation.

Orders are being processed on a first-come, first-served basis and students still desiring to purchase season tickets are encouraged to respond promptly, as the record demand that was anticipated has come to fruition.

The excitement for the 2006 football season has seen the ranks of the Nittany Lion Club grow by approximately 1,500, approaching the 20,000 mark for total membership. The new and existing NLC members have purchased in excess of 5,000 new season tickets for the 2006 campaign.

The anticipation for the 2006-07 Nittany Lion basketball season also is very evident in the first week of student season ticket sales. More than 900 student season ticket sales for men's basketball have already been purchased to eclipse last year's total. Students can purchase season tickets for Nittany Lion and Lady Lion Basketball with the purchase of their season football tickets.

All returning students who were registered for at least 12 credits in the 2006 Spring semester and are registered for at least 12 credits for the 2006 Fall semester should have received an informational mailing at their home address last month.

All incoming freshmen that they were a paid accept by May 1, 2006 also should have received their account number and password in a letter mailed to their home last month.

Students that did not receive an application, but will be registered for a minimum of 12 credits in the Fall, can print an application by clicking here or by visiting GoPSUsports.com and clicking on the 'Buy Tickets' link.

Student football tickets are $166 for seven home games. Nittany Lion and Lady Lion Basketball pricing is $59 and $25, respectively. All students purchasing season basketball tickets this season will receive a complimentary Nike T-shirt to be available prior to the season.