Beaver Stadium Information

beaver stadium

Home to the Penn State Nittany Lions of the Big Ten Conference since 1960, the Beaver Stadium is located in the Pennsylvania State University. This outdoor college football stadium was built in 1909 and is one of the premier football stadiums in the country. The stadium is also the first to have its interior included in Google Street View.

Beaver Stadium, just like all its predecessors, is named after James A. Beaver. In Beaver’s early years, he worked as a lawyer in nearby Bellefonte. However, at the outbreak of the Civil War, he enlisted in the Union Army as a second lieutenant and rose to the rank of brigadier general prior to his discharge in 1864. Later on, he served as a superior court judge, the governor of Pennsylvania (1887-1991) and president of the university’s board of trustees. He passed away in 1941 and is well-remembered as one of the most influential leaders in the development of the University.

The official seating capacity of the Beaver stadium is 106,572, making it the second-largest stadium in the Western Hemisphere and the third-largest in the world. Beaver Stadium was moved from its former site, the northeast side of Rec Hall on the west side of the campus to the east side of the campus. Since the 1960 move, the stadium has doubled in terms of capacity size.

In 1991, an addition of 10,033 seats on the upper deck in the north end zone and portable seats on the north end zone concourse increased the stadium’s capacity to 93,967. Another expansion and renovation prior to the 2001 season added more than 12,000 seats. This addition increased the stadium’s capacity to 106,572, which helped in the easing of the waiting list for season ticket requests from Penn State fans. The renovation and expansion also added restrooms and concession facilities, new scoreboards with instant-replay capability, and improved handicap access and pedestrian circulation patterns. The most noticeable changes are the 60 enclosed skyboxes in a three-level structure above the East stands.

The stadium is widely known as one of the toughest venues for opposing teams in collegiate athletics. It was also recognized as having the best student section in the nation in 2008 and 2009. Additionally, it was voted the number one football stadium in college football based on USA Today poll, where it garnered more than 41% of the vote in 2016.

The history of Beaver Stadium begins way back in 1893, with the construction of Beaver Field at Penn State University. Beaver Field was relatively modest, seating around 500 people. 

Beaver Field – and Beaver Stadium – was named after James. A Beaver. Beaver was a Pennsylvania governor from 1887 to 1891. He was also a local from the nearby Millerstown and served as president of the trustees of the Penn State board. 

Beaver Field became the first home base for the Penn State football team. The team even managed to secure a victory when they played their first game there in 1893. The game was the Penn State team versus the team from the Western University of Pennsylvania, which is now the University of Pittsburgh. 

Beaver Field well and truly laid the foundations for the huge venue, the success of Penn State athletics, and the thriving football culture that would only continue to grow.

New Beaver Field

The next big step in the stadium’s history was the opening of New Beaver Field in 1909. The structure was much larger than the original Beaver Field, seating around 30,000 people. New Beaver Field would remain as it was for a little over fifty years. 

Beaver Stadium came to be in 1960 when Penn State’s football program had well and truly outgrown its humble roots. The need to accommodate more people was clear, and so a new stadium was constructed. 

The entirety of New Beaver Field was dismantled and moved over to the east side of the Penn State campus. It was then reassembled, and the seating capacity was increased to just over 46,000 seats. The new venue was renamed Beaver Stadium, and history was made!

Expansions over time

Beaver Stadium at Penn State has had several major expansions since it opened. These expansions have led to the venue becoming almost twice as big as it was originally. 

The first big change came in 1972 when approved renovations increased the seating capacity to more than 57,000. Expansion increased even more so – to around 60,000 seats – in 1976. There was another expansion of 16,000 seats in 1978, and again in 1980, which brought the capacity to 83,770. 

In 1991, the north end zone of the venue was given an upper deck, which increased capacity to almost 94,000. 

One of the largest expansions Beaver Stadium received was in 2001. This mass renovation was a bit controversial, as it added an upper deck. The deck blocked the view of nearby Mount Nittany, which was not appreciated by fans. However, this renovation led to capacity increasing to 107,282, making Beaver Stadium one of the largest stadiums in the United States. 

The capacity was lowered slightly in 2011 as part of efforts to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, so the current seating capacity is 106,572. 

Additional Info

There are some things for fans to look out for at a Beaver’s home game. Check this out if you are new to the Beaver’s game:

  • Mascot:

Usually, the Nittany Lion can be found going around the field throughout the game. Despite being just a mascot, the lion will often “fight” with other mascots if they enter the area around the student section. The Nittany Lion will also usually do some sort of performance around the end of the third quarter. At times throughout the game, the student section will cheer “We want the lion” and the lion will select the loudest section and be crowd-surfed up the stands. Is this not crazy enough for you?

  • Band/Drum Major:

The drum major does two front flips at the beginning of the band’s pregame performance as the entire crowd cheers him on. The band is consistently ranked as one of the best in all of college football, winning the 2005 Sudler Trophy, which is awarded to the best band each year.

For further information on the Beaver Stadium in University Park, visit the pages listed below.

Parking Information:
Read about parking options available to event goers on the  Beaver Stadium parking information page.

Ticket Policies:
For information on ticket guarantee and on our preferred ticket marketplace please view the Beaver Stadium tickets page.

Seating Chart & Information:
For information on accessible seating and see the venues seating map, please view the Beaver Stadium seating chart page.