Penn State-Ohio State Game Sets Beaver Stadium Attendance Record

Penn State-Ohio State broke the Beaver Stadium record set in 2018, also set by the Nittany Lions and the Buckeyes.

Penn State Nittany Lions students cheer during the first half of the NCAA football game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Beaver Stadium. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Penn State football squeezed more than 111,000 fans into Beaver Stadium for the first time in its history, setting a new home attendance record Saturday against Ohio State. Penn State's announced attendance of 111,030 broke the former record set in 2018, also by a Penn State-Ohio State game. The crowd, a huge number for a noon ET kickoff, put Penn State on pace to break its single-season attendance record for a seven-game home schedule.

Penn State has hosted 544,375 through five games, an average of 108,875 per game. The program set its single-season record for average attendance in 2007 at 108,917 fans per game. Penn State averaged just below that in 2023, when it recorded an average attendance of 108,409 fans per game. In 2023, Penn State also recorded three crowds above 110,000 for the first time in program history.

According to Penn State Athletics, Beaver Stadium attendance figures include those in the "press box, suites, bands, ushers and other stadium personnel."

Beaver Stadium's capacity is 106,572, making it the nation's second largest stadium. The 2001 Beaver Stadium expansion raised the venue's capacity to 107,282. In 2011, capacity was lowered to its current number to meet standards of the Americans With Disabilities Act.

Penn State potentially could challenge the record again Nov. 9, when Washington visits Beaver Stadium for the annual "White Out." Penn State concludes the regular-season home schedule against Maryland on Nov. 30. After that, Penn State might not reach 111,000 fans for a regular-season game again.

Following the 2024 season, Penn State will expand work on the $700 million renovation of Beaver Stadium, which has been in its current location since 1960. The stadium's West side will be demolished and replaced during a staged process that will impact the 2025 and 2026 seasons. Penn State has said that plans for those two seasons include some temporary seating during construction.

Penn State Athletic Director Patrick Kraft has said that he expects Beaver Stadium to retain a seating capacity above 100,000 after the renovation, which is scheduled to be complete before the 2027 Penn State football season.

"We will be over 100,000 for sure," Kraft said in an interview in May. "We will continue to evaluate that. We want to have as big a stadium as we can. We want everyone to be able to have an opportunity to come to the games, and over 100,000 fans is really important. It’s part of our DNA."

Penn State coach James Franklin's teams are responsible for seven of the 10 largest crowds in Beaver Stadium. A look at Penn State's top-10 attendance games.

Date	Opponent	Attendance
Nov. 2, 2024	Ohio State	111,030
Sept. 29, 2018	Ohio State	110,889
Nov. 11, 2023	Michigan	110,856
Sept. 23, 2023	Iowa	110,830
Oct. 21, 2017	Michigan	110,823
Sept. 14, 2002	Nebraska	110,753
Sept. 2, 2023	West Virginia	110,747
Oct. 19, 2019	Michigan	110,669
Oct. 27, 2007	Ohio State	110,134
Sept. 8, 2007	Notre Dame	110,078

More Penn State Football

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Penn State positions Beaver Stadium as a year-round entertainment venue

The Penn State White Out turns 20 this year. An abridged history

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