West Shore Home, a technology-enabled home remodelling services provider, has taken on field naming rights to Beaver Stadium as part of a long-term deal with Pennsylvania State University that coincides with major redevelopment work at the 107,000-seat venue.
The Penn State board of trustees has approved a deal to rename the field as West Shore Home Field at Beaver Stadium. The agreement begins this year and runs until the end of the 2039 college football season.
Penn State said the deal marks a “significant gift” from the Werzyn family, which owns West Shore Home. According to reports, West Shore Home has provided a $50m (£39m/€46m) gift for the field naming rights.
B.J. Werzyn, who graduated from Penn State in 1999, is the founder and chief executive of West Shore Home, which is headquartered in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Penn State said that philanthropic support is serving as the “driving force” that allows the college to carry out modernisation work at Beaver Stadium.
The announcement comes after Penn State last month shed further light on the $700m redevelopment of Beaver Stadium, which seeks to significantly enhance the fan experience while reinforcing the venue’s credentials as one of the most intimidating places for a visiting team in the US.
Penn State president Neeli Bendapudi said: “This gift from the Werzyn family and West Shore Home is a testament to their incredible generosity and unwavering commitment to Penn State. Their support is meaningful in driving the Beaver Stadium revitalisation project forward and I’m also thrilled at the ongoing discussions on developing a new partnership that will provide hands-on experiences for our students in the College of Information Sciences and Technology.”
Penn State approved the redevelopment project in May last year, and construction is continuing on the east and west sides of the stadium. The renovations are designed to enable year-round use of Beaver Stadium, which is the second largest stadium in the US.
Micropiling has begun on the west side in preparation for the construction of the PAM Health Misitano Family Tower, suite levels, expanded concourses and elevator and stair towers on the perimeter.
In addition, 7,900 temporary bleacher seats will be installed on top of the suite level, along with temporary concession and restroom amenities. Expansion of the main east stand concourse is also underway, along with critical maintenance projects to repair some of the aging elements of the stadium.
Populous has designed the redevelopment, with the joint venture of Barton Malow, AECOM Hunt and Alexander Construction serving as the construction manager. Beaver Stadium opened in 1960 and its last major renovation was in 2001.
