Featured image credit: Andrew Gearhart on Unsplash
Beaver Stadium, the home of Pennsylvania State University’s American football team, is set for a major upgrade as part of plans announced by college president Neeli Bendapudi.
The renovation plan for the 106,000-capacity stadium is still being finalised and must be brought before the full board for a vote in the near future. The stadium opened in 1960 and its last major renovation project was in 2001.
Penn State Athletics said the upgrades would form part of a multi-phase renovation, with the project also including the potential to expand Beaver Stadium’s use beyond game days.
Bendapudi said: “After extensive research and consultation, renovation for Beaver Stadium is the direction we want to take as it is far more economical than a new build. In addition, it’s important to note that no part of this project will be funded by tuition, student fees or any of our educational budget.
“I know there is a lot of interest in this project, and we are at the beginning of a multi-year journey, which still must include proposal review and approval by the Board of Trustees. Athletics also will need to put the project out for bid.”
Bendapudi said that the university is not yet in a position to share financial projections for the renovation project.
Penn State announced back in March 2017 that it would be carrying out major renovation work at Beaver Stadium as part of a wider 20-year athletics facilities plan at the college. At the time, it was envisioned that the work would be conducted over a three- to four-year period within the next five years, but no progress has been made to date.
Beaver Stadium is one of the world’s biggest sports venues and the second largest in the US, behind the 107,600-capacity Michigan Stadium.
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