LACKAWANNA COUNTY, Pa. — The #11 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions are going to the Rose Bowl in a match-up against #8 Utah.
Fans in northeastern and central Pennsylvania are ready to travel to the west coast for the big game.
"The last three days, I've had over 500 emails and phone calls, and that is not a lie. It's crazy," said Eileen Miner, owner of Thompson Tours.
"Oh, gosh, we're very excited. Penn State fans are crazy, and this is a bucket list Rose Bowl trip," said John Madden, owner of Travel World.
Penn State hasn't made an appearance in the Rose Bowl since 2016; Newswatch 16 was there to capture the action.
Travel agents like Eileen Miner, owner of Thompson Tours, have helped fans book trips to bowl games before, but the demand this year is unprecedented. People are willing to pay the price.
"I've never seen the excitement, and this year is more expensive than it's ever been because airfare is higher and there are less flights," said Miner.
"You have to be a real big Penn State fan to go. It's certainly quite a bit of money, and it's certainly not inexpensive," said Madden.
Travel World in Scranton is seeing the same trend. In just a matter of days, their group trip is almost fully booked.
This will be the first match-up between the Nittany Lions and the Utes.
"In all honesty, we were hoping and praying that Penn State was going to get in there, OK? There was a little question mark last week, but everything fell into place nicely, especially over the weekend. Here we go, Rose Bowl, here we come!" said Madden.
The game is set for Monday, January 2, 2023.