Former capacity :
68-635: Beaver Stadium is a college football stadium on the campus of Pennsylvania State University in Penn State University Park . It has been home to the Penn State Nittany Lions football of the Big Ten Conference since 1960 , though some parts of the stadium date back to 1909. It was also the site of university commencements until 1984. The stadium, as well as its predecessors , is named after James A. Beaver (1837–1914),
136-469: A governor of Pennsylvania (1887–91), president of the university's board of trustees, and native of nearby Millerstown . Officially, the stadium is part of the municipality known as College Township, Pennsylvania , although it has a University Park address. Beaver Stadium has an official seating capacity of 106,572, making it currently the second largest stadium in the Western Hemisphere and
204-425: A distinct color change when crossing from the original, New Beaver Field steel grandstands onto the newer, stone and concrete additions. In 1980, maximum capacity increased to 83,770. In 1985, walkways were added around the tops of the end zones and entry ramps at the stadium's corners resulted in lowering the capacity to 83,370. An expansion was completed for the 1991 football season, placing an upper deck addition over
272-418: A goal post differ from league to league, but it is usually within the boundaries of the end zone. In earlier football games (both professional and collegiate), the goal post began at the goal line, and was usually an H-shaped bar. Nowadays, for player safety reasons, almost all goal posts in the professional and collegiate levels of American football are T-shaped (resembling a slingshot), and reside just outside
340-570: A large grassy area in front of the primary classroom building of the time. Beaver Field , a 500-seat structure located behind the current site of the Osmond Building, was the first permanent home for Penn State's football team, and the first game played there was a Penn State victory over Western University of Pennsylvania (now the University of Pittsburgh ) on November 6, 1893. In 1909, New Beaver Field opened just northeast of Rec Hall , roughly in
408-503: A level of prominence comparable to U.S. college football, and professional football was still in its infancy in the 1920s. As a result, Canadian football was still being played in rudimentary facilities in the late 1920s. A further consideration was that the Canadian Rugby Union (the governing body of Canadian football at the time, now known as Football Canada) wanted to reduce the prominence of single points (then called rouges ) in
476-425: A localized version of the "Winnipeg White Out" made national headlines during the 2005 game versus Ohio State. In this game, despite 40 °F (4 °C) temperatures and a misty rain, nearly every student, along with many other fans, wore a white shirt to the game, creating a sea of white. This was deemed a success, as the student section was declared "The best in the country." by ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit , and
544-403: A running track, it is usually necessary to truncate the back corners of the end zones, since a rectangular field 150 yards long and 65 yards wide will not fit completely inside an oval-shaped running track. Such truncations are marked as straight diagonal lines, resulting in an end zone with six corners and six pylons. As of 2019, Montreal's Percival Molson Stadium is the only CFL stadium that has
612-556: A touchdown by the same means. In Ultimate Frisbee, a goal is scored by completing a pass into the end zone. The end zone in American football is 10 yards long by 53 + 1 ⁄ 3 yards (160 feet) wide. A full-sized end zone in Canadian football is 20 yards long by 65 yards wide. Prior to the 1980s, the Canadian end zone was 25 yards long. The first stadium to use the 20-yard-long end zone
680-482: Is also a List of NCAA Division I FBS football programs . (September 3, 2022 vs. North Carolina ) [REDACTED] (September 13, 2014 vs. Penn State (September 21, 2024 vs. Georgia Southern) This list includes the following: Here, conference affiliations are those expected to be in effect when the stadium becomes an FBS venue, whether by opening, reopening, or a school's entry into provisional or full FBS membership. End zone The end zone
748-525: Is also featured in Penn State's White Out games, which use Zombie Nation's Kernkraft 400 as the fight song instead of Fight On, State . "Let's Go, P-S-U" - A more recently started chant which plays during a performance of The Hey Song by the Penn State Blue Band prior to every game. Tailgating is very popular outside Beaver Stadium. Alcohol is permitted in all areas around Beaver Stadium and
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#1732851421648816-404: Is perhaps the most well-known chant across campus; "We Are Penn State" conveys the university's sense of unity and school pride. At Beaver Stadium, the chant is often relayed across the stadium in a "WE ARE!"..."PENN STATE!". Penn State call and response, with each side of the grandstand chanting one half of the motto. This is typically followed by a similar "THANK YOU!"..."YOU'RE WELCOME!" chant. It
884-454: Is sold inside the stadium on home football games, as of 2022. In August 2019, Penn State was ranked #15 by tailgater magazine for the "tailgate culture" that surrounds Beaver Stadium on gameday. The magazine stated that "win or lose, the university offers an incredible tailgate environment" for over 100,000 fans, referencing traditions related to Penn State football such as camping outside Beaver Stadium for Nittanyville to making ice cream stops at
952-427: Is the scoring area on the field, according to gridiron-based codes of football . It is the area between the end line and goal line bounded by the sidelines . There are two end zones, each being on the opposite side of the field. It is bordered on all sides by a white line indicating its beginning and end points, with orange, square pylons placed at each of the four corners as a visual aid (however, prior to around
1020-550: The Auburn Tigers played during the "Whiteout", the Nittany Lions won 28–20. Zombie Nation is a tradition that was started during the 2004 football season . After the Nittany Lions make a big play, (typically on defense) the stadium blasts the song " Kernkraft 400 " by Zombie Nation which ignites 107,000 into a frenzied blur all bouncing up and down in unison, waving towels and shakers wildly chanting "WE ARE PENN STATE!" during
1088-564: The Berkey Creamery . The "S-Zone" within the student section is another tradition at Beaver Stadium. A small section behind the end zone are all given white and blue shirts supplied by the Pennsylvania State University Lion Ambassadors to create an "S" in the student section. The "S-Zone" was moved from the 20 yard line to its current location at the beginning of the 2011 football season, as the student section
1156-465: The Penn State Blue Band , the student section, and the blue buses which bring the team to the stadium, have been placed around the stadium as well. In late October, the walls surrounding the field were refaced with Pennsylvania limestone . An iron gate has replaced the old chain-link face at the players' entrance into the stadium. On the new gate the words "PENN STATE" appear in blue. The Penn State Office of Physical Plant and Athletic Department expanded
1224-611: The Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL have the south end zone at Acrisure Stadium (formerly Heinz Field) painted with diagonal-lines during most of the regular season, with the north end zone featuring only the city name of Pittsburgh in yellow. This is done because Acrisure Stadium, which has a natural grass playing surface, is also home to the Pittsburgh Panthers of college football and the markings simplify field conversion between
1292-424: The fourth largest in the world. Its natural grass playing field is aligned northwest to southeast at an approximate elevation of 1,150 feet (350 m) above sea level . Beaver Stadium is widely known as one of the toughest venues for opposing teams in collegiate athletics . In 2008, it was recognized as having the best student section in the country for the second consecutive year. In 2019, it
1360-458: The "SLU" section of the stadium, above the student section, where it will remain empty in perpetuity. This chair was unveiled during the Nittany Lions' first home football game of the season against Ball State on September 11. On May 21, 2024, The Penn State Board of Trustees today (May 21) approved (by a 26-2 vote, with three abstaining) in investing in the renovation of Beaver Stadium, which will grow revenue-generating opportunities, transform
1428-459: The 2019 NCAA basketball tournament. Hundreds of thousands of fans voted for their favorites throughout the week. In the championship match-up, Beaver Stadium beat Kansas’ Allen Fieldhouse to claim the title of Ultimate Stadium. Beaver Stadium was the first to have its interior included in Google Street View . Until 1893, Penn State teams participated in sporting events on Old Main lawn,
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#17328514216481496-473: The 2027 college football season. This multi-year project is financed and paid for entirely by Intercollegiate Athletics. A part of the renovation, dedicated to the scoreboards, was completed before the Kent State game. A record crowd of 111,030 witnessed Penn State's 20–13 loss to Ohio State on November 2, 2024. In 2002, Penn State set an NCAA record for most fans to ever watch a college football team over
1564-464: The CFL reduced the depth of the end zone to 20 yards. A team scores a touchdown by entering its opponent's end zone while carrying the ball or catching the ball while being within the end zone. If the ball is carried by a player, it is considered a score when any part of the ball is directly above or beyond any part of the goal line between the pylons. In addition, a two-point conversion may be scored after
1632-462: The Nittany Lions won the game in an intense defensive battle, 17–10. The student section was widely credited with aiding the defense, which kept the Buckeyes' future Heisman Trophy winning quarterback, Troy Smith, in check by intercepting a pass and recovering a decisive fumble in the final minutes. Smith was forced to call several timeouts during the game due to inability to communicate with his offense on
1700-469: The October 2005 game against Ohio State , students have camped out outside Gate A to obtain good seats for home games; "Nittanyville" is a recognized university club with rules of conduct. It was originally known as "Paternoville". During whiteout games, a special week-long camping starts on Monday instead of the usual Wednesday or Thursday. After failed experiments with "Code Blue" during the down year of 2004,
1768-412: The ball in or over the end zone is sufficient to count as a touchdown. Ultimate frisbee also uses an end zone scoring area. Scores in this sport are counted when a pass is received in the end zone. The end zones were invented as a result of the legalization of the forward pass in gridiron football. Prior to this, the goal line and end line were the same, and players scored a touchdown by leaving
1836-417: The ball to break the vertical plane of the outer edge of the goal line. A similar concept exists in both rugby football codes, where it is known as the in-goal area . The difference between rugby and gridiron-based codes is that in rugby, the ball must be touched to the ground in the in-goal area to count as a try (the rugby equivalent of a touchdown), whereas in the gridiron-based games, simply possessing
1904-422: The baton in alternating order (in the same manner children choosing teams with a baseball bat would) and then throw the baton into the ground. They then salute each other, embrace arms, and then both excitedly run towards the student section, where they are cheered enthusiastically. The Blue Band performs "The Nittany Lion" and makes its way from its "PSU" formation to roll into spelling "LIONS" as it marches across
1972-433: The break in the melody of the song. The tradition gained national attention in 2005, after Penn State's 17–10 victory over Ohio State, which at the time, delivered the second highest audience for a regular season college football game ever on ESPN. Zombie Nation along with the "Penn State Whiteout", have been direct influencers of Beaver Stadium being home to what many consider the best student section in college football. Since
2040-600: The city name is painted as usual in the end zone, except for the "MO" portion, which is painted in gold or white in tribute to the late Mo Gaba , a young fan of both the Ravens and Orioles . One of the major quirks of the American Football League was its use of unusual patterns such as argyle in its end zones, a tradition revived in 2009 by the Denver Broncos to celebrate the team's 50th anniversary, Denver itself
2108-430: The course of a single season at home. Beaver Stadium hosted 8 games in 2002, and averaged 107,239 per game totaling what was at the time an NCAA record of 857,911 in total home attendance. Penn State averaged 95,977 fans in attendance both home and away over the 13 game schedule which broke the all time full season attendance NCAA record at 1,247,707 spectators over the course of the 2002 campaign. "WE ARE!"..."PENN STATE!"
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2176-499: The current location of the Nittany Parking deck. It served as Penn State's stadium until 1960, when the entire 30,000 seat stadium was dismantled and moved to the east end of campus, reassembled and expanded to 46,284 seats—the lower half of the current facility—and dubbed Beaver Stadium. The stadium has been expanded six times, reflecting Penn State's rise to national prominence under Coach Joe Paterno —more than doubling in size in
2244-457: The early 1970s, flags were used instead to denote the end zone). Canadian rule books use the terms goal area and dead line instead of end zone and end line respectively, but the latter terms are the more common in colloquial Canadian English. Unlike sports like association football and ice hockey which require the ball/puck to pass completely over the goal line to count as a score, both Canadian and American football merely need any part of
2312-450: The end lines in 1927, where they have remained in college football ever since. The National Football League moved the goal posts up to the goal line again in 1933, then back again to the end line in 1974. As with many other aspects of gridiron football, Canadian football adopted the forward pass and end zones much later than American football. The forward pass and end zones were adopted in 1929. In Canada, college football has never reached
2380-461: The end zone was introduced in American football . In an era when professional football was still in its early years and college football dominated the game, the resulting enlargement of the field was constrained by fact that many college teams were already playing in well-developed stadiums, complete with stands and other structures at the ends of the fields, thereby making any substantial enlargement of
2448-568: The fall semester of 2015, university officials stated that they are seeking options to renovate or replace Beaver Stadium in the next 10 years. Officials state that there is a recognized need in an upgrade in the facilities. The stadium remains antiquated, despite multiple expansions and the additions of luxury boxes and HD scoreboards. Outdated plumbing requires complete winterization each November. Elevators are small and sluggish while concourses are narrow. The stadium lacks concession options and still uses bleachers. The limitations prevent wider use of
2516-530: The fan and community experience, and fuel the future funding for all 31 athletics programs at Penn State. The approved renovations will enable year-round use of Beaver Stadium, further driving economic growth and development in the surrounding region. Including the first stage of the Beaver Stadium renovation, which was approved in May 2023, the total project will cost no more than $ 700 million and will be completed before
2584-504: The field of play itself. In many places, particularly in smaller high schools and colleges, end zones are undecorated, or have plain white diagonal stripes spaced several yards apart, in lieu of colors and decorations. One notable use of this design in major college football is the Notre Dame Fighting Irish , who have both end zones at Notre Dame Stadium painted with diagonal white lines. In professional football, since 2004,
2652-461: The field of play through that line. Goal posts were placed on the goal line, and any kicks that did not result in field goals but left the field through the end lines were simply recorded as touchbacks (or, in the Canadian game, singles ; it was during the pre-end zone era that Hugh Gall set the record for most singles in a game, with eight). In the earliest days of the forward pass, the pass had to be caught in-bounds and could not be thrown across
2720-402: The field unfeasible at many schools. Eventually, a compromise was reached: 12 yards of end zone were added to each end of the field, but in return, the playing field was shortened from 110 yards to 100, resulting in the physical size of the field being only slightly longer than before. Goal posts were originally kept on the goal lines, but after they began to interfere with play, they moved back to
2788-589: The field. In 2007, for the Notre Dame game, a full-stadium " White House " was declared. While it is widely believed that this change was a result of the National Hockey League 's Phoenix Coyotes notifying the university that the phrase "White Out" was trademarked by the franchise during their time as the Winnipeg Jets , the "White House" moniker was invented to remind the crowd that everyone, and not just
Beaver Stadium - Misplaced Pages Continue
2856-522: The field. Once reaching the other side, the band reverses the "LIONS" to be readable to the east side of the stadium, while playing " Fight On, State ". This is known as the "trademark drill" of the Blue Band. List of NCAA Division I FBS football stadiums The NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) is the highest level of college football in the United States. The FBS consists of
2924-446: The game. Therefore, the CRU simply appended 25-yard end zones to the ends of the existing 110-yard field, creating a much larger field of play. Since moving the goal posts back 25 yards would have made the scoring of field goals excessively difficult, and since the CRU did not want to reduce the prominence of field goals, the goal posts were left on the goal line where they remain today. However,
2992-461: The goal line (as the receiver would be out of bounds ). This also made it difficult to pass the ball when very close to one's own goal line, since merely dropping back to pass or kick would result in a safety (rules of the forward pass at the time required the passer to be five yards behind the line of scrimmage, which would make throwing the forward pass when the ball was snapped from behind one's own five-yard line illegal in itself). Thus, in 1912,
3060-473: The goal line to the 50 yard line, where he does a front flip. Legend states that if the drum major lands the flip, the team will win that afternoon. He then performs another flip while running towards the end zone. After he stands back up, he and the Nittany Lion, who is holding his baton, take five high-steps toward each other, meeting 5 yards deep in the end zone. The Lion and Drum Major both place both hands on
3128-452: The larger end zone and wider field makes the resulting interference in play by the goal post a less serious problem. At the high school level, it is not uncommon to see multi-purpose goal posts that include football goal posts at the top and a soccer net at the bottom; these are usually seen at smaller schools and in multi-purpose stadiums where facilities are used for multiple sports. When these or H-shaped goal posts are used in football,
3196-529: The largest schools in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). As of the 2024 season, there are 10 conferences and 134 schools in FBS. The stadiums that serve as the home venue for FBS teams include most of the largest stadiums in the United States . Conference affiliations reflect those in the 2024 season . In addition to the following list of FBS football stadiums, there
3264-432: The lower portions of the posts are covered with several inches of heavy foam padding to protect the safety of the players. Most professional and collegiate teams have their logo , team name, or both painted on the surface of the end zone, with team colors filling the background. Many championship and bowl games at college and professional level are commemorated by the names of the opposing teams each being painted in one of
3332-514: The north end zone and raising capacity to 93,967. A major and somewhat controversial construction project took place in 2001 , raising the stadium's total capacity to 107,282. An upper deck was added to the south end of the stadium, blocking the view of neighboring Mount Nittany (which had sentimental value for some fans), but making Beaver Stadium the second largest stadium in the nation, behind Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan . In 2006,
3400-457: The north and south video boards to HD video boards and because parts were no longer available for the old boards. The area of the new video screens dedicated to game replays and game-related video is much larger than the screens they replaced. The two video boards together are some of the largest in college football. The renovation expanded the size of the video boards by eliminating the current game clock and lamp matrix display. The boards are only
3468-399: The opposite end zones. In some leagues, along with bowl games, local, national, or bowl game sponsors may also have their logos placed in the end zone. In the CFL, fully painted end zones are nonexistent, though some feature club logos or sponsors. Additionally, the Canadian end zone, being a live-ball part of the field, often features yardage dashes (usually marked every five yards), not unlike
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#17328514216483536-415: The process. Expansions in 1972 brought capacity to 57,538. Another expansion in 1976 increased capacity to 60,203. In 1978, 16,000 seats were added when the stadium was cut into sections and raised on hydraulic lifts, allowing the insertion of seating along the inner ring of the stadium where the track had previously been located, raising capacity to 76,639. This expansion is particularly noticeable, as there's
3604-452: The rear of both end zones; these goalposts were first seen in 1966 and were invented by Jim Trimble and Joel Rottman in Montreal, Quebec , Canada. The goal posts in Canadian football still reside on the goal line instead of the back of the end zones, partly because the number of field goal attempts would dramatically decrease if the posts were moved 20 yards back in that sport, and also because
3672-406: The rounded-off end zones. During the CFL's failed American expansion in the mid-1990s, several stadiums, by necessity, used 15-yard end zones (some had end zones that were even shorter than 15 yards); only Baltimore and San Antonio had the endzones at the standard 20 yards. Ultimate Frisbee uses an end zone 40 yards wide and 20 yards deep (37 m × 18 m). The location and dimensions of
3740-400: The rules governing the scoring of singles were changed: teams were required to either kick the ball out of bounds through the end zone or force the opposition to down a kicked ball in their own end zone in order to be awarded a point. By 1986, at which point CFL stadiums were becoming bigger and comparable in development to their American counterparts in an effort to stay financially competitive,
3808-407: The second of their kind made and are 4k UHD. The project was completed prior to the first home game of the 2014 season. The boards cost approx. $ 10 million. Also on the back of both boards is a LED Nittany Lion logo that lights at night and was added to promote the "Penn State brand". Starting with the 2015 season fireworks are shot off from the top of each scoreboard when the team takes the field. In
3876-543: The speed of the normal wave. After the slow wave passes, the wave speeds up to over twice the speed of the normal wave. The wave has, on occasion, been reversed in direction following the fast wave. After the Penn State Blue Band has entered the field and played the first eight bars of " The Nittany Lion ", the Blue Bands Drum Major does a high-stepping, stiff-legged sprint in between rows of band members from
3944-467: The stadium capacity was reduced from 107,282 seats to 106,572 to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act . The appearance of the stadium has been enhanced with the addition of large blue letters spelling out "The Pennsylvania State University" on the west-facing suites, and a list of Penn State's undefeated, National Championship, and Big Ten Championship years underneath. 2012 is the exception, which
4012-533: The stadium underwent major structural and aesthetic upgrades. Old steel beams supporting the upper seats in the east, north and west were replaced and strengthened, and new railing was installed, stronger than the old railing which collapsed following the 2005 Ohio State game. In 2007, over 22,000 student tickets sold out in 59 minutes. In 2008, when tickets were sold by grade, tickets allotted for junior students sold out in 90 seconds, and those for sophomores and freshmen sold out in under three minutes each. In 2011,
4080-477: The student section, was to wear white. The newly christened "White House" was also deemed a success, as nearly every Penn State fan in attendance wore white, and the Lions won, 31–10. In 2008, the "White House" was met with similar success, a 38–24 win over Illinois . From 2012 to 2019, the full-stadium "Whiteout" games have been against either Ohio State or Michigan. In 2021, the first Southeastern Conference (SEC) team,
4148-457: The team to walk through it, as if welcoming the team to the field. The team then lingers until four minutes were left on the pregame clock, and then the head coach leads the team through the tunnel created by the Blue Band . The Penn State Student Section initiates a wave during sporting events. After the wave passes around the stadium twice, the student section slows down the wave to about a fourth
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#17328514216484216-520: The tradition began, both Zombie Nation and the "Whiteout" have since spread to encompass the entire stadium. The tunnel entrance is a Nittany Lions tradition in which the head coach leads the team from the locker room under the South side of the stadium to the tunnel to a closed metal gate reading "PENN STATE" in bold Arial font. When the team arrives at the gate, the Nittany Lion opens the gate and motion for
4284-527: The two teams' respective field markings and logos, with both teams sharing a secondary yellow color, but each having different primary colors. After the Panthers' season is over, the Steelers logo is painted in the south end zone. Likewise, some end zones are painted in tribute to a recently deceased team figure or fan, as is done with the Steelers' AFC North rival Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium , where
4352-515: The venue; the university would like to expand the number of events held at Beaver Stadium, such as major concerts and a long-discussed potential hosting of the NHL Winter Classic . Many fans are opposed to replacing Beaver Stadium due to the history and tradition but many agree that there is a need for renovation. On September 8, 2021, Penn State dedicated a Chair of Honor for all prisoners of war/missing in action ( POW / MIA ) service members in
4420-565: Was B.C. Place in Vancouver , which was completed in 1983. The floor of B.C. Place was (and is) too short to accommodate a field 160 yards in length. The shorter end zone proved popular enough that the CFL adopted it league-wide in 1986. At BMO Field , home to the Toronto Argonauts , the end zones are only 18 yards. Like their American counterparts, Canadian endzones are marked with four pylons. In Canadian football stadiums that also feature
4488-528: Was added to this list during the November 24, 2012 game against Wisconsin to honor the team that played after sanctions were passed down during the aftermath of the Jerry Sandusky scandal . On the opposite side of the stadium, letters spelling, "Penn State Nittany Lions" have been added to the press box, with "Beaver Stadium" running below. Nine markers depicting the various traditions of Beaver Stadium, including
4556-399: Was named student section of the year by a committee of ESPN broadcasters and writers. In 2016, Beaver Stadium was voted the number-one football stadium in college football in a USA Today poll, garnering over 41 percent of the vote. In March 2019, USA Today conducted another poll asking voters to decide the best stadium in the United States during "Bracket Madness", which coincided with
4624-466: Was shifted over to between the 10 yard lines. For the 2008, 2011, 2013, 2018, and 2023 Homecoming Games, the "S-Zone" was black and pink, in honor of the original Penn State colors. On April 21, 2007, for the Annual Blue and White Game (Spring Scrimmage), the "S-Zone" was converted to a "VT-Zone", in honor of the victims of the massacre that took place on April 16, 2007, at Virginia Tech . Starting with
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