Penn State Scandal Hangs Over Ticketcity Bowl

Controversy may be partially to blame for the slow ticket sales

Organizers for the Dart Ticketcity Bowl say its second-year ticket sales aren't going as expected.

Penn State, which has been embroiled in the child sex scandal of former assistant coach Jerry Sandusky, is playing in its first bowl game in four decades without legendary coach Joe Paterno on the sidelines.

Paterno was fired after Sandusky was charged with sexually abusing young boys during his time as assistant coach.

The Nittany Lions take on the Houston Cougars, one of the most explosive offensive teams in the nation.

"I said we'd really like to play someone who's ranked higher than us," interim head coach Tom Bradley said. "We might have went a bit overboard getting Houston."

But the matchup isn't putting people in the seats of the 92,000 seat Cotton Bowl.

"Obviously, there have been other things in the headlines," Ticketcity Bowl CEO Tom Starr said.

He said he anticipates selling 45,000 to 50,000 tickets for the game.

Despite the controversy, Bradley said his team came to win.

"We're out here fighting for our lives," he said. "We're playing against a great Houston team. I got a bunch of players here dying for me, doing whatever I ask them to do."

Contact Us