STATE COLLEGE, Pa., March 21, 2001 - Nittany Lion basketball fans will be flocking to Atlanta this weekend, as athletic ticket manager Bud Meredith reported today that Penn State's ticket allotment to the NCAA Championship South Regional is sold out.

Nittany Lion fans eager to watch Penn State's first appearance in the NCAA "Sweet 16" since 1955 bought all 1,250 tickets of the University's allotment.

Penn State (21-11) faces Temple (23-12) Friday at approximately 10:00 p.m. EST in the Georgia Dome. Michigan State meets Gonzaga in the first regional semifinal at 7:38 p.m., with the Lions and Owls playing 25 minutes after the conclusion of the first game.

Tickets not located in the Penn State section remain for the South Regional. Fans can call Ticketmaster (1-800-326-4000) today for all-session tickets. Tickets for the Friday and Sunday sessions are $90.00 for lower level seats and $80.00 for upper level seats in the Georgia Dome, which will have a capacity of 40,000.

Single session tickets will be available starting Thursday at the Georgia Dome ticket office. Single session tickets are $45 for lower level seats and $40 for upper level seats.

Friday's winners meet Sunday afternoon at a time to be determined with the winner advancing to the Final Four in Minneapolis. Sunday's South Regional championship game will be nationally televised by CBS.

CBS affiliates in the following states are scheduled to carry Friday's game: Pennsylvania, Maryland, and West Virginia, as well as Washington, D.C. New Jersey and Delaware residents who receive KYW-TV from Philadelphia also will be able to watch the contest between the Nittany Lions and Owls.

Coach Jerry Dunn's Nittany Lions have advanced to their first NCAA Sweet 16 since 1955 and have won two NCAA Tournament games for the first time since reaching the Final Four since 1954. Penn State has a 21-11 record and is the No. 7 seed in the South Regional, defeating No. 10 seed Providence (69-59) and No. 2 North Carolina (82-74) in New Orleans last weekend.

Coach John Chaney's Owls are 23-12 and the No. 11 seed in the South, beating No. 6 Texas (79-65) and No. 3 Florida (75-54) to advance. Temple has won nine consecutive games.

Penn State and Temple will be meeting for the second time this season. The Lions posted a 66-60 win in the Jordan Center on Dec. 9 over then-No. 23 Temple behind 21 points and 10 assists from senior Titus Ivory. The Owls lead the series between the former Atlantic-10 rivals, 53-32.

Penn State is making its eighth appearance in the NCAA Tournament and first since 1996. The Nittany Lions are 9-9 all-time in NCAA play. The meeting of the two Keystone State schools marks the first time that teams from the same state have played each other this deep into the NCAA Tournament since Kansas beat Kansas State in the 1988 Midwest Regional final.