Penn State could take another step forward on its planned Beaver Stadium renovations on Tuesday morning. The university’s full Board of Trustees, in addition to its committee on finance, planning, and capital planning, is set to gather first in an executive session at 10 a.m. before holding a public session at 10:30 a.m. There is just one item on the agenda: “Proposed Project Approval, Beaver Stadium Renovations, University Park.” It is expected to be approved.
“The primary scope of the Beaver Stadium renovation is on the stadium’s West Side,” the Penn State project description says. “This approach would replace the current West Side of the stadium and provide improved access for broadcasting, greatly improved circulation, new restrooms, upgraded concession offerings, and much-needed premium seating. Included with the West Side replacement are much-needed miscellaneous improvements of the North, East, and South, as listed below. These combined projects will greatly enhance the fan experience and safety and provide significant incremental revenue to fund these improvements.”
Blue-White Illustrated first reported the school’s intention to renovate the 107,000-seat stadium instead of building a new structure back in April of 2023. The school then confirmed that plan in May of last year. Work will begin after this season. And, it should be done in its entirety before the 2027 season. The expected price tag is in the ballpark of $700 million.
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“To get it done in the four-year window, the goal would be to do all the enabling projects right after this season: the winterization and get the design going and some of the stuff,” Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft said last summer. “Then, the next season, you will be done with design. You still got to go to the board and do all those steps, but then you’re going right after, hopefully, the playoff game in [Dec. 2024]. Then you’re off to the races.”
Kraft offered his most recent update on the project back in January.
This is major, major project,” Kraft said then. “Literally 30 percent is like, where are the pipes going, where do you got circulation? So that one is ongoing. We feel really good about where we are headed, but literally … there is not a thing we are not evaluating in this process. As you can see with Luke Combs [which was in late April], we have to use this building more. I would sign up right here for a hockey game in this building, you know, today. Like everything else, just takes a lot of moving parts and working with the NHL.
“But I think there’s a great opportunity to do that, yes, and we are open. They know that we are open it. But we have got to continue to use this build to go generate revenue.”
Members of the public can livestream the Tuesday Board of Trustees meeting by CLICKING HERE. Blue-White Illustrated will have continuing coverage, as well.
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