Penn State offers first look at what new Beaver Stadium video, ribbon boards will look like
Penn State football is upgrading Beaver Stadium as it prepares to renovate part of the 107,000-seat venue next year. The athletic department released its first look at what it called a “higher quality south videoboard, super ribbon boards in the south endzone, additional ribbon boards in the south end zone, and a new ribbon board in the north endzone.” For those unaware, the south end zone is the one where Penn State enters and exits the field for its home games. The plan to put in the enhancements first came to light in a bid request sheet from the university’s Office of the Physical Plant earlier this year. It read as follows:
“… [The project] is an annual program that addresses major capital improvements in and around Beaver Stadium. The 2024 budget is earmarked for priority work encompassing LED Video upgrades, Server Relocation, Stadium Winterization, and various other enabling work as part of the West Side Renovation Project.
“The LED Video Display scope includes replacing the existing North and South ribbon boards, the South scoreboard LEDs, a new South upper ribbon, and a new super ribbon board on the South end. The supper ribbon board will require extensive new steel structure and reinforcement of the existing structure. Project scope and structural steel needs to support the ongoing MM project will include but are not limited to providing a new primary structure for the super ribbon display, catwalk with grating, access stairs, and existing steel column and beam reinforcement.”
You can see what the finished project will look like in the embedded tweet below:
If you can’t see the tweet, you can also view the photo below:
Penn State Beaver Stadium renovation work update
In a recent exclusive interview with BWI, Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft discussed the plan to renovate the 107,000-seat venue following the 2024 season. The work will not be completed until 2027.
“I know everyone sees that number,” Kraft said. “Construction here in Happy Valley is not cheap. So I’ve been blown away as we’ve done projects just because of where we are located. So let’s put that there. I also think we’re trying to fix as much as we humanly (can). All the circulation issues. We’ve got to fix the way that game day – meaning concessions, bathrooms, all of those things that our fans deserve.
“And then we also have to pay for it. We don’t have the premium opportunities that… people really want. And with a building this large, if you do it right, you can accommodate all of our fans and all that they want. I think it attracts all of those elements.”
