Penn State’s Beaver Stadium is on track to spend at least part of the 2026 season in rare air.
On ESPN’s College GameDay Podcast, Dan Wetzel, Pete Thamel and Pat Forde discussed recent reporting that Beaver Stadium could hold between 108,000 and 109,000 fans for Matt Campbell’s first season. If that number holds, Penn State would briefly own the title of the nation’s largest stadium, topping Michigan Stadium’s 107,601. Penn State’s trip to Michigan in October would come with that backdrop.
The discussion traces back to reporting from Penn State beat writer Audrey Snyder at her Substack, Inside the Lions. In an interview with Snyder, Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft said the stadium’s capacity should land around 108,000 this season, while leaving the door open for more.
"We continue to count, but I think we’ll be north of 108,000," Kraft said in the interview with Snyder. "I think we could get to 109,000, but what people don’t understand is there are all these nooks and crannies that we’re using now.”
That uncertainty comes from Phase II of the Beaver Stadium renovation, which is reshaping the building’s seating footprint. Penn State recently topped out the new West Tower at 195 feet, and the area below it will include a new set of bleacher seats. The school plans to roll those sections out in stages during the season.
There’s also the possibility of rebuilding the temporary bleachers on the east side, which could push capacity above 108,000. Last season, Beaver Stadium listed at 106,304, including about 9,000 temporary bleachers on both sides. That arrangement left the stadium essentially at its usual number of 106,572.
Penn State used InProduction to construct the temporary seating during the 2025 season. InProduction director of marketing Phillip Glaeser explained the thinking behind that kind of move in an interview last year.
"[Penn State] came to us and said, 'Where else can we add some more seats?'" Phillip Glaeser, InProduction's director of marketing, said in an interview last year.
"Which is very common. Every stadium has a corner that's maybe underutilized."
Penn State has not put a final number on Beaver Stadium’s capacity once the renovation is finished, which is scheduled before the 2027 season. Some recruits have said Penn State expects the stadium to become the largest in the country when the project is complete, but that has not been confirmed.
The bigger picture goes beyond bragging rights. Penn State has said the renovation is about turning Beaver Stadium into a stronger year-round entertainment venue and revenue source, while still keeping capacity at least at 100,000. If the school keeps using temporary bleachers on the east side, the total could end up even higher.
"By making these renovations, Beaver Stadium would be one of the only multi-use entertainment facilities at this scale between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh," Kraft said trustees. "The enhancements to Beaver Stadium will create significant new revenue and increase philanthropy opportunities that will allow us to reinvest funds into all of our student-athletes and allow athletics to continue to be self-supporting.
"Equally as important, by equipping the stadium for these events, we’ll be able to increase the number of visitors to the region, which will help bolster the local economy. ... The opportunity to host non-football activities and large-scale events at Beaver Stadium will bring additional economic growth year-round."
Wetzel, Thamel and Forde congratulated Penn State on the possibility, though Thamel also offered a practical tweak.
"I'd prefer they add two lanes to the road coming in and out so you can actually get to the games, as opposed to building the next iteration so you can watch the game from south Scranton," Thamel said.
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