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Beaver Stadium, Penn State football approved for mass renovations

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Penn State football will receive its entire $700 million home renovation over the next three years.

The university's Board of Trustees voted overwhelmingly Tuesday, as expected, to approve the bulk of a redesign of Beaver Stadium — a massive investment that will reshape the west side of the 64-year-old building. The vote ended by a 26-2 margin with three abstentions, including former Penn State assistant coach Jay Paterno.

Work to expand amenities such as premium seating and suites, new elevator restrooms and concessions is expected to begin after the conclusion of the 2024 football season and be completed by summer 2027.

Penn State officials announced in February 2023 their intention to undertake a major renovation of the second-largest stadium in the country. Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi and athletic director Pat Kraft have reiterated over the past year that a renovation would be significantly more economical than a potential $2 billion rebuild.

Penn State's BOT approved the first $70 million for the project last May. This included design and consulting work, backlogged maintenance work and the ongoing winterization of Beaver Stadium to host a potential College Football Playoff game in December.

Penn State officials emphasized Tuesday that the project will not only create new revenue streams, but also transform Beaver Stadium into a year-round entertainment venue — building on the success of the Luke Combs concert in April, which drew 80,000 fans.

The renovations will be funded through loans, fundraising, sponsorships and new premium seating options — not through tuition, fees or Penn State's overall budget, Bendapudi said.

The Beaver Stadium Improvement List

Penn State officials announced last fall that they had hired Populous — a leading architectural firm led by former Nittany Lion and NFL linebacker Scott Radecic — to design the project. The west side of the stadium will be nearly demolished and rebuilt, with suites and loge boxes, club seats added and the press box reconstructed.

The renovations will affect the entire stadium, particularly with wider concourses to allow for better fan circulation. In total, Penn State officials expect to add 24 elevators, 12 escalators, four stair towers and a few video scoreboards. The improved concessions will include approximately 100 new “outlets.”

A newly built “Welcome Center” gives the stadium the appearance of a “front door” and has 21,000 square meters of event space.

The stadium lighting and the WiFi service on the pitch are also to be modernized.

Construction work will be paused for the following two football seasons.

“We are behind in both addressing the necessary structural needs in the stadium and in what we offer our fans. It is time for Penn State to catch up with its competitors,” Kraft said during Tuesday’s project presentation to the Board of Trustees.

“Beaver Stadium,” he said, “should be a model for college and the NFL world, with innovation, diverse experiences and exciting technology. If we do not act, we will face significant infrastructure problems in the coming years. The cost.” The cost of repairs will only increase.”

The project received overwhelming support Tuesday despite continued vocal opposition from Penn State board member Barry Fenchak, an alumni-elected trustee. (He and Anthony Lubrano voted against the project).

Fenchak has expressed his opposition to the plan, saying he considers renovations on this scale to be unaffordable. In an article posted on his website, Fenchak claims that the project would dramatically increase Penn State Athletics' debt – to about $877 million – and that Penn State does not have the appropriate revenue streams, including fundraising power, to pay it off .

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This will be the third renovation of Beaver Stadium since 2000 and would not result in a drastic reduction in seating capacity, according to Kraft. The expansion in 2001 added around 12,000 seats and increased capacity to 107,282. Due to a renovation in 2011, capacity was slightly reduced due to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and the USA Today Network. Contact him at [email protected] and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.

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