$700m makeover of second-largest college football stadium in USA emerges ahead of completion date
Penn State is just one year away from unveiling the entirety of its $700m makeover of its iconic home.
Beaver Stadium is the second-largest college football stadium in the country, with a seating capacity of 106,572.
In 1960, Penn State moved Beaver Field, which was located in the general vicinity of the Nittany Lion Inn, to the other end of campus.
They have gone piece by piece in the reconstruction, but never touched the west side, until now.
In 2024, a $700 million renovation of the Stadium’s west side was approved, with an expected completion date of 2027.
The west side stand will be about 30 feet taller, and will be 100 feet closer to the field.
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Images that have emerged from a recent media tour from atop of the refurbished stand have left fans chomping at the bit to get tickets.
“Wow, that is absolutely stunning, can’t wait to see it in person,” one fan said.
“I love watching games from so high, you really get to see the plays develop,” a second added.
“I think I can see New York in the distance, what a breathtaking view,” a third commented.
“That’s such a nice view, can’t wait to get my tickets,” a fourth concluded.
Sections of the new bleachers will be open and available for fans to sit in during the opening week of the 2026 season.
Penn State has not set a date for the full bleacher deck to be fully open, but Athletic Director Pat Kraft said the entire seating area should be available to fans at least by the October, 10 game against USC.
The project has been financed and paid for through fundraising, concessions, sponsorships and ticket sales.
They have also installed two temporary seating structures on the east side of the venue.
When the bleachers fully open and with the added seating, they expect to have the largest stadium across the nation with a 109,000 capacity.
“We’ve also found little areas in the building that we can maximize, and they’re actually really good seats, and so we’ll be able to put those on the market,” Kraft said, via Sports Illustrated.
“Once again, go back to the conversation [about] the commercialization and the revenue-generation side.
“Any seat that I can sell, and I can give a really good experience, we’re going to do that. And so that that all plays into it.”
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