Skip to main content
penn-state logo

WATCH: The Beaver Stadium press box is officially demolished as Penn State takes latest renovation step

Greg Pickelby:Greg Pickel•01/04/25•

GregPickel

Beaver Stadium Press Box Demolition Penn State Football On3
Penn State University began the first major part of its renovations for Beaver Stadium on Jan 4 with the demolition of the press box. Approximately 102 charges were used to bring down the structure. (Photo: Thomas Frank Carr/BWI)

STATE COLLEGE — These will be some of the final words written about a structure that has housed people writing or broadcasting about Penn State football and the coaches who called plays at hundreds of games over the last 64 years. The Beaver Stadium press box has officially been demolished. A construction crew knocked the long-tenured building down just before 8 a.m. ET on a cold day here Saturday as the latest step in a $700 million renovation project that is set to be complete by the start of the 2027 season.

The next part of the plan includes more demolition work on the upper west side of the currently 107,000-seat venue, according to Penn State Athletics.

“There will be workers on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the next six weeks to demo, clear and prep the area for the construction that will take place prior to the 2025 season,” the school writes in a news release.

Penn State still has details to reveal

Many questions remain. Chief among them are these: How many seats will be available when Penn State opens the 2025 season opposite Nevada on Aug. 30? Where will the coaches, TV and radio broadcasters, and, least importantly, writers who reside in the press box on game day be located in the stadium next fall? And what exactly can fans expect to see for the duration of a home slate that starts with three non-conference games in September in addition to a Big Ten opener with Oregon all during the first month of the season?

Those answers, in addition to ones related to renderings of what the final project could ultimately look like years from now, will come in the months ahead. For now, however, we can be certain of two things. The first is that the work that was done last offseason accomplished what it was designed to do, which was adding some amenities while also ensuring the venue could host a College Football Playoff first-round game. The second is that, as promised, renovation work began anew as soon as possible following the conclusion of the 2024 home slate.

Athletic director Pat Kraft last updated reporters on many topics, including the plan for the stadium, at Big Ten Media Days in July. It’s unclear when he will speak next. But, the questions above will be on the mind of many until then, all while the team itself focuses on a CFP semifinal date with Notre Dame next Thursday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

You may also like