Must-Haves for Beaver Stadium Renovations

A little less than two weeks ago, university president Neeli Bendapudi announced plans to renovate Beaver Stadium. Talking at the Board of Trustees meeting, she stated that the renovations would not take away funding from education and will be self-funded through Penn State athletics.  

What Could Beaver Stadium Look Like?

Dr. Bendapudi also said that Penn State fans deserve a facility that has “upgraded amenities” and “improved circulation around the facility to enhance the fan experience.”  

With that being said, there are many possible changes that the university could make that would fit within these parameters. Here are a few possible renovations that I think would make Beaver Stadium a more hospitable place for fans.

Indoor Concourses

This is a no-brainer.  I’ve heard from many fans and experienced myself how the weather can be at the stadium during football games, whether it’s heavy rain, snow, or just freezing cold. Concourses can serve as a refuge for fans during game breaks in stadiums and is often what keeps fans engaged even in bad weather. 

An example of this is at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, NY, where the indoor concourses around the seating allowed me to take refuge when there was rain in the later part of a game I attended. A similar concept at Beaver Stadium would do justice to the often-hostile weather that faces the fans. Fans can seek refuge in the concourses at halftime during a cold game late in the season instead of having to go into the bathrooms.  

Upgraded WiFi

Another problem that Beaver Stadium in its present state faces is the issue of high-quality WiFi and cell phone reception. I’ve encountered issues coordinating meetings with friends after entering the stadium because the reception and Internet availability were severely limited, and sometimes my friends (or I) had to resort to finding each other physically. I’ve also heard similar stories from other fans, and the fact that the second-largest stadium in the western hemisphere has this problem makes no sense.  

The Bryce Jordan Center (BJC) across the street, where Penn State basketball games, concerts, occasional wrestling matches, and more happen, seems to have this issue figured out.  Students have access to the same Penn State WiFi they get in their dorms and classes, and other fans have access to the guest WiFi. I think Beaver Stadium could benefit from a similar infrastructure, benefiting students and other fans alike. The only difference here is that the stadium is 107k strong as opposed to the roughly 16,000-seat capacity of the BJC, but the renovations can upgrade the WiFi system up and beyond that of the BJC. 

Upgraded Lighting

One feature of many college football stadiums across the country is the unique and colored LED lighting systems in the stadium.  One such example is SHI Stadium at Rutgers, where I was able to witness the whole stadium turn scarlet red just from the lighting system that they had.  It would be engaging to see colorful LED lighting in Beaver Stadium that could represent not just white, but the blue and the white.  It would also make the already engaging light shows even more of a spectacle and get fans more energized for the game ahead.  

Patience will be Key

Renovations will not be completed until at least the next few years, but these are some changes that I would like included.

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