Penn State Announced Renovation Plans For 107,000-Seat Stadium With $700 Million

Beaver Stadium, the home to the Penn State Nittany Lions football team, is one of the most iconic venues in all of college football. But recent renovations, which included the removal of the press box and several seats on the west side of the stadium, have rendered the legendary site nearly unrecognizable.

The 107,000-seat stadium is the second-largest in college football behind the Big House AKA Michigan Stadium. And the Nittany Lions are regularly credited as having one of if not the best atmospheres in the sport. But with spring practice set to get underway on Tuesday, reporters got a chance to step inside the new-look stadium.

New Look Beaver Stadium Is First Part Of Multi-Year Renovation Plan Worth $700M

Seth Engle of StateCollege.com posted a picture from inside the stadium and the sight was downright shocking. Penn State announced plans to install a temporary press box as well as temporary seating during a larger, $700 million renovation plan. In the meantime, the stadium’s capacity is expected to take a hit. But the university said it does not expect capacity to dip below 100,000 at any point during the process.

Meanwhile, the university just received a $50 million gift from alumnus B.J. Werzyn in order to name the field at Beaver Stadium after his company, West Shore Homes, for the next 15 years. Werzyn, who is also a big player in the NIL landscape for the Nittany Lions, is the largest individual donor toward the new stadium project.

Werzyn’s deal raised concerns among some members of the Penn State Board of Trustees. Former Nittany Lions quarterback Matt McGloin spoke out against the agreement. McGloin believes that any field name should honor former coach Joe Paterno. But PSU trustees voted 22-8 in favor of the new naming agreement.