Scott Barnes Pitt AD

Scott Barnes, left, answers questions during a news conference after he was introduced by University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Patrick Gallagher, right, as the university's new athletic director, Friday, April 24, 2015, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic)

When Penn State travels to Pittsburgh Sept. 10 for the highly anticipated renewal of a longtime rivalry, the Nittany Lions can expect to see plenty of blue and gold, athletic director Scott Barnes said Thursday. Pitt has set a record for season ticket sales and soared past its goal by nearly 2,000 tickets, Barnes told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review.



Those sales records will translate to a Pitt-heavy crowd for the matchup against the Nittany Lions, Barnes said. The two programs are set to meet in a home-and-home series over the next four seasons, which will be the first time the game is played since 2000.



"This is our house," Barnes told the Tribune-Review. "We don't mind a donation or two from the Nittany Lions, but our fans stepped up mightily very early in the process."



No more Pitt-PSU football tickets will be available through the Pitt ticket office, assistant athletic director Justin Acierno told the Tribune-Review. The secondary market continues to be a hot spot for game tickets with the cheapest seat on StubHub, located in the upper level end zone, now going for $190.



It didn't take long for Penn State game tickets to soar on the secondary market, to the point where it was cheaper to buy Pitt season tickets than it was for just the Penn State game. Onward State had a few examples of those stories, which cast some doubt on Barnes' assertion of a heavy Pitt crowd.



A portion of season ticket sales could also be chalked up to the flip-for-profit crowd, again given one game ticket could pay for the whole package, and then some.

Barnes is rightfully celebrating the successes of his season ticket office and foreseeing a huge homefield advantage Sept. 10, but time will tell how much of that success came at the expense of ticket scalpers and Penn State fans.