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Penn State announces second eight-figure gift toward Beaver Stadium renovation plan

Greg Pickelby:Greg Pickel•08/21/24•

GregPickel

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Rendering of the west facade of Penn State's Beaver Stadium following a $700 million renovation project. (Rendering courtesy Penn State Athletics)

Penn State athletics has announced another eight-figure gift toward its Beaver Stadium renovation project. An anonymous donor is giving $10 million toward the $700 million plan to re-do the 107,000-seat venues west side while also accomplishing various other tasks around the 64-year-old venue over the coming years.

“This generous family has supported our department in a number of ways, and we are so grateful to have them as a leader in our fundraising efforts for the revitalization,” Nittany Lions athletic director Pat Kraft said in a statement. “This gift is a unique symbol of a deep commitment to a significant priority. We are so thankful to have the support we have received in the early stages of fundraising for this project.”

Added university president Neeli Bendapudi in a news release:

“We are deeply grateful for the generous support from this family that wishes to remain anonymous. The members of this family truly embody what it means to be Penn Staters and have embraced the ‘We Are’ spirit. The Beaver Stadium Revitalization will have a tremendous impact on our campus and our community, and we are thrilled to see loyal Penn Staters leading the way and making it a reality.”

Penn State fundraising for Beaver Stadium renovation continues

The news of this $10 million gift comes exactly a week after longtime athletics supporters the Misitano Family and PAM Health kicked off the fundraising efforts with a $25 million donation.

“Upon the completion of the Beaver Stadium Revitalization project, the newly constructed West Tower naming opportunity will recognize their generous gift,” Penn State wrote in a news release about that gift. “The West Tower will be home to a University Welcome Center, expanded concourses with open views of the field and modern amenities, private luxury suites, loge boxes and two distinct club seat experiences with lounge access. It will also feature more than 59,000 square feet of public-facing event space.”

The Welcome Center is one of many new features coming to Beaver Stadium once renovation work is complete. It starts following the 2024 season and is to be done by the beginning of the 2027 slate of games. However, some work is either already underway — like new concession offerings, entry gates, ribbon and video boards, and escalators, among other things — or already completed, such as winterization efforts necessary to potentially host a home College Football Playoff game in December.

We’re expanding concourses,” Kraft said in July. “More concessions, more bathrooms, but there are pinch points to get around. It’s just tight. It’s also expensive to build in Happy Valley. All of that told, it wasn’t like we threw a dart. That’s what it costs to do what we need to do to get the building up, healthy, and alive again, and then to fix a lot of the other issues. Then, when you do that, you have to pay for it, and the west side premium is going to help a lot with that.”

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