Penn State Proposes $70 Million First Phase of Beaver Stadium Renovation

The 63-year-old stadium will undergo a phased renewal while remaining above 100,000 in seating capacity.

Penn State's Beaver Stadium will remain a 100,000-seat venue following a multi-year renovation that will begin with a $70 million first phase to update the 63-year-old facility.

Penn State's Board of Trustees will consider the athletic department's $70 million funding request at its May 5 meeting. The sum represents about 10 percent of what officials expect the full Beaver Stadium renovation to cost. As Blue-White Illustrated reported in April, Penn State is budgeting as much as $700 million to complete what President Neeli Bendapudi called a "multi-year journey" to update and modernize the nation's second-largest stadium.

According to the Board of Trustees agenda, Penn State plans to spend the initial $70 million on design and consulting fees, winterization work and other expenses. The agenda also detailed some of what Penn State plans for the first step of construction, It offered no timeline as to when work would begin.

Penn State is targeting the west side of Beaver Stadium for much of the work. A new press box and broadcasting facility, new restrooms and concession stands and "much-needed premium seating" highlight the renovation plan. Penn State also seeks to upgrade concourses and circulation, field lighting and a multitude of infrastructure elements. According to the agenda, those include mechanical, electrical, plumbing and telecom needs.

"The current proposed Beaver Stadium renovation will extend the life of the existing facility, generate new revenue, and greatly improve the quality of the fan experience," the meeting agenda states. "As envisioned, the Beaver Stadium renovation will align Penn State Football facilities and operations with the highest competitive level within the Power 5 and Big 10."

The agenda reiterated Bendapudi's statement at the February trustees meeting that Penn State Athletics will fund the project without using tuition or student fees. According to the agenda, Penn State plans to pay for the $70 million first phase through athletic department revenues. Penn State reported a $10.6 million athletics surplus on its most recent financial report.

“Penn State has some of the most dedicated and loyal fans in the world and they deserve a facility that has upgraded amenities and improved circulation around the facility to enhance the fan experience," Bendapudi told trustees in February. "It is my commitment that we will do what we must to preserve one of our most iconic spaces in the most economical way possible.”

Beaver Stadium, which seats 106,572 fans, has been a prominent discussion point since at least 2017, when the athletic department unveiled its 20-year facilities master plan. In 2022, Penn State surveyed season-ticket holders and other groups regarding Beaver Stadium's future. The survey included questions about club suites and other high-end amenities and took the fan temperature regarding renovation or new construction. Penn State ultimately decided that building new would have been too expensive.

"To build new anywhere it’s expensive, let me put it that way," Penn State Athletic Director Patrick Kraft said in December. "No one is building a 100,000-seat stadium. That's important to us. I think that's an important piece of who we are. So yes, there is a financial threshold that building new just would be unfeasible."

Penn State's athletic department is self-funding, meaning it pays for projects through revenues, fundraising and debt financing. The first phase of the Beaver Stadium renovation did not mention debt financing, according to the agenda.

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