It’s time for an upgrade to Beaver Stadium.
Plans are currently being finalized to give Penn State’s home a much-needed and deserved facelift.
🏟 President Bendapudi announced the University's intent to consider major renovations to @beaver_stadium.
💵 No tuition or education dollars will be used for the upgrades.
🏗 The stadium's last major renovation was in 2001:https://t.co/kuQQ1qi5hJ
— Penn State (@penn_state) February 18, 2023
It’s about time.
The best news for students is that their tuition money won’t be footing the bill. Taxpayers won’t be tasked with forking over their hard-earned money for the renovations. It will be privately funded through what’s expected to be donations and other private financial means.
Beaver Stadium has desperately needed improvements with the last major improvements coming in the form of the $10 million video boards that sit atop both endzones prior to the 2014 season. The Nittany Lion logo illuminates the sky at night and provides the only Penn State branding on the outside of the stadium.
With these renovations now being in store, I’m thinking about things I’d like to see fixed up at Beaver Stadium.
OVERALL COSMETICS
You’ve run your route and are getting off the University Park exit from I-99, which provides a beautiful view of the massive scoreboards, the Penn State University sign and the magnificent club and suite seating that seems like it’s eye-to-eye with Mt. Nittany.
Should you miss your turn and head toward the Arboretum, a look in the rearview mirror will have you shaking your head. That view? Well, of course that’s the press box side of the stadium. It very much resembles the look of an eight year old’s first attempt at putting together an erector set.
Whether it’s an actual erector set has yet to be confirmed.
There’s a lot cosmetically to fix what is probably the simplest of the renovations. Add some brick facades and close in a few areas, and it should look much more aesthetically pleasing from behind the press box.
And oh boy, the press box.
The press box looks like they dropped a double wide trailer atop some steel beams and called it a day. Improving the looks of the press box is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to that portion of the renovations.
WIRELESS PROBLEMS: CAN WE NOT?
The only thing worse than the cell service inside Beaver Stadium is the wireless connection inside the press box, where internet is only the most important thing going on. It’s also only slightly necessary for those who are fortunate enough to be crammed in the first two rows of seating there.
Selfishly, I’d love this the most solely because it makes my job 100 times easier when the internet is competent. The box could also be expanded so that members of the media rub shoulders with each pass. Even just the slightest widening would make the slenderest of people happy. Moving freely and with ease is something most Big Ten press boxes feature and it’s about time it comes to Happy Valley.
EXPAND THE ALL-SPORTS MUSEUM
Penn State athletics is filled with history especially on the football field. What better time to honor and showcase that diverse history than by expanding the All-Sports Museum located at the stadium.
Also, make it available to those in attendance. Giving people another attraction to experience on gameday would heighten the gameday experience and provide another opportunity to generate revenue outside of the season.
ESCALATORS – Oh, the catwalks. They are a plenty. Oh, ramps, too.
Add in some escalators and make the upper seats more accessible. There should be enough space to do this outside of what’s already in the Mt. Nittany Club and it would make navigating the stadium so much easier.
The pictures of sad Michigan fans would be lasting images as they exit the stadium as well.
THE CONCOURSES
A trip through the concourse prior to the Minnesota game had me feeling like a slithering little snake. I dipped and dodged thousands of people in line for drinks and food. There were a lot of tears, but I’m sure for good reason.
Widening the concourses in a lot of places won’t be easy and navigating a stadium full of 107,000 people will never be simple, but it’s worth a shot!
While these are just a few of the upgrades, the biggest thing is that there’s nothing quite like Beaver Stadium. If Penn State’s renovations happen as planned, more will be able to enjoy the atmosphere for years to come.
