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F O O T B A L L PSU, Populous exploring Beaver Stadium's future Four years ago, when Penn State un- veiled a Facilities Master Plan filled with ambitious projects, the most ambitious of them all was an overhauled Beaver Stadium. The scope of the university's vision was evident in a series of render- ings showing a largely rebuilt facility covered in brickwork and limestone. But no timeline was offered, and even if there had been one back in 2017, it would likely have been pushed back this past year due to the pandemic. But in May, the university took a step forward in its bid to improve the Nittany Lions' 61-year-old home field. Penn State announced that it was partnering with the architecture and design firm Populous to study the stadium's future. Populous, which teamed up with PSU to create the master plan, will be looking at current and future maintenance projects while also exploring potential renova- tions aimed at improving fan comfort and expanding amenities for student- athletes and fans. During an appearance June 2 on the virtual Penn State Coaches Caravan, athletic director Sandy Barbour de- scribed the effort to upgrade Beaver Sta- dium as a "massive, multiyear project." Because of its scope, she said, the uni- versity won't be needing construction cranes anytime soon. "I want to be very clear: We're not get- ting ready to put any shovels in the ground," she said. "We need to make sure that our planning and our decisions about what our needs are and how we're going to address those needs are ad- dressed in this study." In its news release announcing the study, Penn State said that Populous will be seeking input from across campus and | LIONS' DEN An overhauled Beaver Sta- dium was part of Penn State's wide-ranging Facilities Mas- ter Plan, which was unveiled in March 2017. Rendering courtesy of Penn State Athletics S I T E L I N E S B W I . R I V A L S . C O M R E A D E R S W E I G H I N O N F U T U R E B E A V E R S T A D I U M R E N O V A T I O N S I'm more interested in what it's like in- side the stadium than what the exterior looks like with fancy brick, etc. I want the inside to continue to rock with noise. They need to keep the atmosphere, re- gardless of what else they do. They up- dated Wrigley Field but didn't tear it down and replace it. waltpsuscranton In the end, those who are seeking to reform the structure will win out. My question is: What will be lost along the way? A distinctly unique competitive advantage? Being viewed as the biggest and baddest stadium in the entire world? All so that Athletics can turn up even more revenues and so that we can make it easier to get some beer and dogs during a game? Richard the LIONhearted Wi-Fi remains a big issue, as many have been unable to access any net- work, including the free stadium Wi- Fi, especially during the hour or so prior to game time when fans need to upload electronic tickets, find friends/family, etc. I know it's been a priority for Athletics for the past cou- ple of seasons and no doubt will receive even higher priority this summer given that we'll be 100 percent electronic ticketing come Sept. 11. Ann Arbor Dave I have attended several games at Kyle Field at Texas A&M since their renova- tion. It seats 102,000 fans, and the up- graded stadium is superb. The project was completed in 23 months at a cost of $450 million. All games were played without interruption, as work was done at alternate times. I suggest that we con- sult with their design team, as it is the most impressive on-campus stadium that I have seen. By the way, the entire project was finished $ 1.2 million under budget and was completed on time. whart Can we just tear Beaver Stadium down and build something new? Coultr77

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