University President Neely Bandabody announced Friday during a Board of Trustees meeting that Penn State will not build a new football stadium, but is instead moving toward a major renovation of Beaver Stadium.
“It is much more economical than new construction,” Bendapudi said he said in a press release. “In addition, it is important to note that no part of this project will be funded by tuition, student fees, or any of our education budget.”
Here’s what you need to know:
- Friday’s announcement marked the first time the university has publicly acknowledged that a multiphase renovation of the 63-year-old facility — the second-largest in the nation with 106,572 seats — is the planned course of action.
- The Penn State Board of Trustees will eventually need to vote on the proposed renovations, but the timeline for when that vote will take place remains unclear. Then the project will need to be put up for tender.
- Penn State has acknowledged that using the stadium for more than just football games a handful of times a year is still a goal.
- The stadium underwent a major renovation as it was expanded to more than 100,000 seats in 2001.
What then?
Almost six years ago, Penn State Issued the facilities master plan which was considered a 20-year roadmap for the Athletic Department. The future of the football stadium has been a long-term focal point. The phased renovation of the stadium will allow the football team to continue playing at home during the repair period.
“It’s just about creativity,” said sporting director Patrick Kraft. the athlete last fall. “I think there are ways to improve the structure and ways to get it done so that the building can kind of be flipped in a good way. But that’s kind of the next one, right? Like, let’s roll up our sleeves and how do we get into that after we decide what to do.”
Owning a stadium with a capacity of more than 100,000 people has always been a source of pride. In the future, once the actual renovation plan is in place, we will see what changes, if any, occur to the stadium’s capacity.
The possibility of hosting the College Football Playoff on campus in an expanded 12-team system beginning in 2024 is another reason the stadium must be renovated. Penn State said it could host a game the way the stadium is currently configured, but there are improvements to the old stadium that have always been at the forefront of fans’ minds. Improved bathrooms, improved WiFi, and upgrades to the concession have been discussed in the past several years.
required reading
(Photo: Scott Tych/Getty Images)
.
