Beaver Stadium's Future? Stay Tuned

Penn State says 'all options are being considered' regarding the nation's second-largest stadium.

Beaver Stadium remains a very active part of Penn State's long-term plan for its athletic facilities, with the key term being "long-term," according to Athletic Director Sandy Barbour.

"I don't know that [fans are] going to see anything tangible in the immediate future [regarding Beaver Stadium]," Barbour said this week. "As a matter of fact, I know they're not. But they'll start to hear about what the timeline for seeing that might be."

Barbour recently announced that she will retire this summer after eight years as Penn State's athletic director. Penn State has begun a national search for Barbour's successor, for whom Beaver Stadium's future will be a chief decision point. 

Barbour in 2017 introduced the Penn State Athletics Facilities Master Plan, a 20-year project designed to modernize the department's athletic footprint. Beaver Stadium is central to that plan, as Penn State intends either to renovate the nation's second-largest stadium, which has been at its current location since 1960, or build a new venue.

Penn State, in conjunction with design firm Populous, has been conducting a concept study to determine the options for Beaver Stadium's future. As part of that study, Penn State recently surveyed season-ticket holders and other groups to gauge their interests regarding the gameday experience.

The survey asked about amenities such as suites and club boxes and took the fan temperature about renovation or new construction. Barbour said the survey was meant to measure fans' appetite for various products and "what people might consider paying for it." Penn State said that "all options are being considered" regarding Beaver Stadium's future.

"I would say the Beaver Stadium piece is on the timeline that we thought," Barbour said. "We never thought that was going to be in the first five [years of the master plan]. That needed some runway and some time to accomplish and to undertake the studies and do the kinds of things that you need to be ready for that."

A rendering of a potential Beaver Stadium renovation from the 2017 Athletics Facilities Master Plan / Penn State Athletics

Though she didn't achieve all her facility goals in the past five years, which COVID-19 certainly impacted, Barbour pointed to the renovations of the Lasch Football Building, the Morgan Academic Center and Panzer Stadium, the lacrosse facility, as major accomplishments.

Barbour added that the athletic department has made progress with donors regarding more gifts for facilities projects.

"I know my successor will continue to encourage those folks to make facilities a priority," Barbour said.

As for Beaver Stadium, Barbour left open the door for a variety of options across a long timeline. She added, "Yes, I'm looking forward to coming back in some period of time and seeing the renovated Beaver Stadium."

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