Penn State AD hoping to extend use of Beaver Stadium for other athletic events

Beaver Stadium is revered as one of the loudest, most intimidating venues in college football. With a capacity of over 106,000, it’s one of the largest stadiums in the sport.

While hosting a football game seven Saturdays out of the year is the primary use of the stadium, Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour is hoping to occupy the venue a little more frequently and host other athletic events throughout the year.

Barbour is hoping to bring hockey and soccer games to Beave Stadium, utilizing the venue more than just those seven days a year. Barbour admitted that there are still some challenges with bringing different sports to the site, but that she’ll continue to pursue those opportunities.

https://twitter.com/PatrickBurns_/status/1079755407181205512

Penn State plans to make renovations to Beaver Stadium but those changes won’t be completed for around another decade. An expected finishing date wouldn’t be until 2026 or 2027.

With those renovations, the capacity for the stadium is expected to drop by about 3,000 seats, but that’s not the biggest issue with the stadium. Parking and the frigid weather could be major hiccups if hoping to host hockey in State College during the winter.

Barbour is insistent on pursuing other opportunities and filling Beaver Stadium more than just those seven Saturdays every year.

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB