STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — One week after opening its season with an impressive victory at West Virginia, Penn State returns to Happy Valley this weekend to take on Bowling Green in its home opener.
Nittany Lion fans may notice some new tweaks and improvements to Beaver Stadium as the file inside for Saturday's noon kickoff. The university announced that the first phase of the stadium's Revitalization Project is already underway.
Here are some of the improvements fans may notice:
Gates A and E Upper Concourse Expansion
- Located in the southeast (Gate A) and northeast (Gate E) corners of Beaver Stadium, the upper concourse expansion of Gates A and E will improve fan circulation. The expansion adds a combined 15,050 square feet of concourse space.
- Four new escalators, two each at Gates A and E, have been installed for enhanced vertical circulation on the East side of the stadium. Once they're operational (which won't be until the Illinois game on Sept. 28), the four escalators will be able to transport up to 8,000 people per hour.
- With expanded upper concourse comes an increase of concession points of sale, grab-and-go options and restrooms available to fans.
Gate F Expansion
- Outside of Gate F, located on the East side of Beaver Stadium, is an open-air, 34,000 square-foot space where fans can enjoy food and drink options in a lounge area.
- Gate F creates additional fan entry points, allowing for enhanced circulation by expanding the stadium’s security perimeter. There will be 20 additional points of ticket scanning and security.
- The enhancement of Gate F will also increase concession opportunities with more locations and offerings.
- In addition, space previously used as stadium storage space has been converted into 4,000 square feet of usable fan space to improve fan circulation on the field level concourse.
New Gate Entry Process at Gates E and F
- There will be a new entry process at Gates E and F this year to assist in circulation and congestion at those gate entries. Fans will scan their tickets prior to walking through the magnetometers in order to limit lines and waiting.
- Please note, the entry process for all other gates will remain the same a previous years with fans entering through the magnetometers and then scanning their tickets.
Video Board Improvements
- The South end video board has been replaced with a new videoboard with improved resolution.
- The ribbon boards located at the North and South ends have been replaced and have increased in size.
- An additional ribbon board has been added on the South end fascia to complement the updated, existing ribbon board and the new super ribbon board.
- Finally, super ribbon boards have been installed in the South end, flanking the South end video board. Please note, the super ribbon board will not be operational until the Ohio State game.
- Field-level LED videoboards has also been added to the North end.
Improved WiFi on the Concourses
- A total of 135 new access points have been installed on the concourses at Beaver Stadium. The access points are part of a new stadium network, “PSU Fan.”
- The “PSU Fan” network is replacing the previous AT&T fan network.
Other Beaver Stadium Revitalization Improvements
- As part of the first phase of the Beaver Stadium Revitalization project, fans will see 50 new concession points of sale and 80 new walk-up self-service non-alcoholic beverage units.
- The first phase also winterized Beaver Stadium to allow the venue to host events in colder weather conditions, such as a College Football Playoff game.
- Fans will also see improvements to East side restrooms.
Francis Family Sensory Room
- The Francis Family Sensory Room debuted midway through the season last year. The sensory room is located on the concourse level behind Section SF and provides a quiet space designed to accommodate fans with sensory issues when they feel overwhelmed and overstimulated.
- Access to the room is free to fans of all ages. Fans are asked to see their closest guest services representative to access the room.