28-04-2025
Fans react to Beaver Stadium renovations in person at Blue-White Game
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. (WTAJ) — Fans got a look at the new and upcoming Beaver Stadium while attending the annual Blue-White Game Saturday.
The athletic department has entered into a multi-year project to revitalize the stadium after the football team's win in its lone home game in its run in the College Football Playoff. In December, the athletic department started the project by tearing down the press box and the upper section of the west side bleachers.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Penn State unveils Beaver Stadium renovation plans, upgrades
The fans have not attended an event at the stadium since Penn State's game against the SMU Mustangs. Returning to Beaver Stadium to see the makeover brought mixed reactions from fans, students and alumni.
'Being an alumnus or being a student here was disheartening, going out on a stroll up to Beaver Stadium to see construction and the side of the stadium gone,' Mia Rayman, a Penn State alumna, said.
'It's hard to see the stadium that you've always known in kind of the condition it's in right now,' season ticket holder Jennifer Switzler said.
While some feel the nostalgic feeling drifting away, others are more optimistic, even if their seats were taken out due to the demolition, like the Reidmiller family.
'It's kind of cool to see the progress that they made over the last couple of months,' Chase Reidmiller, an incoming freshman at Penn State University, said.
'I'm definitely looking forward to going in there and seeing what kind of progress it has made so far,' Penn State senior Alex Schaaf said.
The press box demolition on the west side is one phase of a multi-phase plan over the next couple of years, with an end date before the 2027 season. Some fans have added their two cents to upgrades around the concourse.
'There are a couple of challenges,' Rayman said. 'Just traffic, and then of course, they can build the cell tower a little bit of a wider range.'
The fans do see the steps the athletic department is making to match up to similar opponents in the sport, in part with the ever-growing landscape of college athletics.
'The team's going to other stadiums that have this, so I think it's great for the team, and I think it's great for the visiting team,' Switzler said. 'Overall, I think they're taking care of the student athletes.'
'It's going to help improve the fan experience a lot,' Reidmiller said. 'I'm just kind of excited for it going into my next couple of years of college and stuff.'
Once the fans leave the Blue-White Game, they will see more additions to the stadium. The west side of the stadium will add 7,900 temporary seats for the 2025 season.
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