CollegeFootballDigestfrom CooperSearch

Happy Valley

Beaver Stadium

Beaver Stadium in University Park, PA, home of Penn State. Capacity 106,572. Opened 1960-09-17.

Beaver Stadium in University Park, PA
Beaver Stadium, University Park, PAPhoto: StateLionPro, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Capacity
106,572
Opened
1960
Surface
Natural grass
Roof
Open air
Elevation
1,162 ft
Home team
Penn State
Penn State here
135–⁠43 games on file since 2001
College GameDay
10 times

Since it opened: Penn State is 328–⁠87–⁠1 in home games from the 1960 season on. Our source names a game’s stadium only from 2001, so that count takes every earlier home game not marked neutral and may include a few played elsewhere.

Biggest games here

From the games on file here, 2001 on: title and postseason games, meetings of two ranked teams, upsets by our pregame Elo ratings and the biggest swings in CollegeFootballData.com’s excitement index.

Capacity through the years

From 46,284 seats in 1960 to 106,572 today, across 13 documented figures. Sources disagree on five stretches, drawn in orange; the table says which figure we use and why.

Beaver Stadium capacity by season, 1960 to 202640k60k80k100k120k196019701980199020002010202046,284106,572107,282
Every figure and its sources
196046,284Sources disagreeWikipedia gives 69,000. Penn State’s stadium history and Wikipedia’s own History section give 46,284 at the 1960 opening; the infobox’s 69,000 cites nothing and matches no other source. (Our reading, not yet reviewed.)
1961–⁠196846,284Official source
1969–⁠197148,284Sources disagreeWikipedia gives 46,284. Penn State’s media guide adds more than 2,000 seats in 1969 and lists 48,284 with the 1969 record crowd; Wikipedia’s infobox carries the 1960 figure (46,284) through 1972. (Our reading, not yet reviewed.)
1972–⁠197557,538Official source
1976–⁠197760,203Official source
1978–⁠197976,639Official source
1980–⁠198483,770Official source
1985–⁠199083,370Official source
1991–⁠200093,967Official source
2001–⁠2010107,282Sources disagreeWikipedia gives 93,967; Penn State Athletics gives 106,572. Penn State’s media guides, chronology and current stadium page give 107,282 from the 2001 season until the 2011 ADA reseating; the 2018 facility page’s 106,572 is the post-2011 figure attached to the 2001 expansion. (Our reading, not yet reviewed.)
2011–⁠2024106,572Official source
2025106,304Sources disagreePenn State Athletics gives 106,572. Penn State’s athletic director gave 2025’s capacity as 106,304 (temporary upper-deck seating during the renovation), reported by StateCollege.com on Aug. 20, 2025; the 2025 media guide, printed earlier, still gave 106,572. The earlier decision had found no Penn State statement of 106,304. (Our reading, not yet reviewed.)
2026106,572Sources disagreeWikipedia gives 106,304. Penn State’s 2026 media guide and its October 2026 game notes give 106,572; Wikipedia carries 2025’s 106,304 on through 2026. (Our reading, not yet reviewed.)
  • Corrected 2026-10-09: 2025 from 106,572 to 106,304. Penn State’s athletic director gave 2025’s capacity as 106,304 (temporary upper-deck seating during the renovation), reported by StateCollege.com on Aug. 20, 2025; the 2025 media guide, printed earlier, still gave 106,572. The earlier decision had found no Penn State statement of 106,304.

How we know

A list that ends one range in the year the next begins (“1969–⁠1972”, then “1972–⁠1976”) is read as a change that year.

Official source: the school’s own publication. Independently corroborated: two or more sources that don’t copy each other. Sources disagree: we show both and say which we use and why. Single source: one source only. Documented for 67 of the 67 seasons since 1960; 16 disputed (as of 2026-10-18). All the evidence.

Crowds season by season

Average and biggest crowd at Beaver Stadium by season, 2001 to 202680k100k120k2001: 107,576 a game over 6 games; biggest 109,3132002: 107,239 a game over 8 games; biggest 110,7532003: 105,629 a game over 7 games; biggest 108,2762004: 103,111 a game over 6 games; biggest 108,1832005: 104,859 a game over 7 games; biggest 109,8652006: 107,567 a game over 7 games; biggest 110,0072007: 108,917 a game over 7 games; biggest 110,1342008: 108,254 a game over 7 games; biggest 110,0172009: 107,008 a game over 8 games; biggest 110,0332010: 104,234 a game over 7 games; biggest 108,5392011: 101,326 a game over 7 games; biggest 107,8462012: 96,730 a game over 7 games; biggest 107,8182013: 96,587 a game over 7 games; biggest 107,8842014: 101,623 a game over 7 games; biggest 107,8952015: 99,799 a game over 7 games; biggest 107,4182016: 100,257 a game over 7 games; biggest 107,2802017: 106,707 a game over 7 games; biggest 110,8232018: 105,488 a game over 7 games; biggest 110,8892019: 105,678 a game over 7 games; biggest 110,6692020: 1,500 a game over 3 games; biggest 1,5002021: 106,799 a game over 7 games; biggest 109,9582022: 107,379 a game over 7 games; biggest 109,8132023: 108,409 a game over 7 games; biggest 110,8562024: 108,083 a game over 8 games; biggest 111,0302025: 107,093 a game over 7 games; biggest 111,0152026: 108,685 a game over 4 games; biggest 114,419200120062011201620212026

Biggest crowds on file

114,419USC at Penn State2026
111,030Ohio State at Penn State2024
111,015Oregon at Penn State2025
110,889Ohio State at Penn State2018
110,856Michigan at Penn State2023

Bars are each season’s average crowd, dots its biggest (the record in orange), the dashed rule today’s capacity. Attendance is on file for most games from 2001 on.

The pregame shows here

ESPN’s College GameDay has broadcast from Beaver Stadium 10 times, first in 2005; Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff four times.

Sep 27, 2025College GameDayOregon 30, Penn State 24Old Main Lawn
Nov 2, 2024College GameDayOhio State 20, Penn State 13Outside Bryce Jordan Center
Nov 2, 2024Big Noon KickoffOhio State 20, Penn State 13
Oct 5, 2024Big Noon KickoffPenn State 27, UCLA 11
Nov 11, 2023Big Noon KickoffMichigan 24, Penn State 15
Oct 29, 2022Big Noon KickoffOhio State 44, Penn State 31
Sep 18, 2021College GameDayPenn State 28, Auburn 20Old Main Lawn
Oct 31, 2020College GameDayOhio State 38, Penn State 25Beaver Stadium
Oct 19, 2019College GameDayPenn State 28, Michigan 21HUB Lawn
Sep 29, 2018College GameDayOhio State 27, Penn State 26Old Main Lawn
Oct 21, 2017College GameDayPenn State 42, Michigan 13Old Main Lawn
Sep 26, 2009College GameDayIowa 21, Penn State 10Outside Bryce Jordan Center
Oct 27, 2007College GameDayOhio State 37, Penn State 17Outside Bryce Jordan Center
Oct 8, 2005College GameDayPenn State 17, Ohio State 10Outside Bryce Jordan Center

College GameDay’s sites from Wikipedia’s list of College GameDay locations (CC BY-SA). Big Noon Kickoff’s from Wikipedia’s list of its sites (CC BY-SA).

Weather on game day

Coldest kickoffs

Hottest kickoffs

Snow at kickoff

Coldest game days before 2004

Hottest game days before 2004

Snow on game day

Kickoffs: the NOAA report nearest kickoff from the closest weather station (NOAA NCEI Integrated Surface Database). Game days: the day’s high and snowfall at the NOAA station nearest the stadium, for Penn State’s home games before 2004 (NOAA GHCN-Daily, public domain).

The stadium’s history

Opened
1960-09-17
Architect
Michael Baker Jr, Inc.
HOK Sport (2001 expansion)
Populous (2024–⁠2027 renovation)
Surface over the years
Natural grass
Expanded
1969, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1985, 1991, 2001, 2011, 2024–⁠2027
Renovated
2024 Videoboards changed
2008 Marquee boards added
2001
1985 Walkways and ramps added
1984 Lights added
Record crowd
114,419 (October 10, 2026, vs. USC)

From the stadium’s Wikipedia article, Beaver Stadium.

From above

100 mN ↑
The stadium’s footprint, north up: about 270 by 290 meters (890 by 970 feet), the field in green. Outline from OpenStreetMap, © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Statues

Statues: Wikidata (CC0) and Wikimedia Commons: statues placed at the stadium or within a few hundred meters of it. Names link to their pages here; each statue links to its record there.

Recent games here

Oct 10, 202619USC 31, Penn State 23
Sep 26, 2026Wisconsin 24, 13Penn State 20
Sep 19, 202614Penn State 55, Buffalo 13
Sep 5, 202618Penn State 45, Marshall 0
Nov 22, 2025Penn State 37, Nebraska 10
Nov 8, 20252Indiana 27, Penn State 24
Oct 11, 2025Northwestern 22, Penn State 21
Sep 27, 20256Oregon 30, 3Penn State 24
Sep 13, 20252Penn State 52, Villanova 6
Sep 6, 20252Penn State 34, Florida International 0
Aug 30, 20252Penn State 46, Nevada 11
Dec 21, 20245Penn State 38, 12SMU 10

Around the stadium

Playing surface
Natural grass · Single source
Beer sales
Sold to all fans · Official source

Found by several AI researchers searching the web, then kept only where the page loads and says so in words naming the program; every quote is checked again each time the data is rebuilt. Official source: the school’s own page. All of them.

Pouring rights

PepsiCo has the stadium’s soft-drink pouring rights, on record since 2023. Official source.