Penn State Sports Magazine
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J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 5 13 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State announced a new seven- figure donation toward its Beaver Stadium renovation project on Nov. 25. A family that chose to remain anonymous gave the athletics department $1 million. The university said in a prepared state- ment that the donors include multiple Penn State alums who have supported intercollegiate athletics, as well as the Smeal College of Business and THON. "We are deeply grateful for the extraor- dinary generosity of an anonymous do- nor family whose $1 million gift will have a lasting impact on the Beaver Stadium revitalization project," athletics director Patrick Kraft said. "This gift and the oth- ers we have received to date are a powerful testament to the broad support for our community and the exciting future ahead for our stadium." As of mid-December, Penn State had raised more than $65 million in private donations for the project, which is ex- pected to cost $700 million. The uni- versity previously received a $25 million gift from the Misitano family and PAM Health, as well as a $10 million donation from Ira Lubert and his wife, Pam Estadt. In addition, there were two gifts of $10 million from anonymous donors, and a $5 million donation from Frank and Jennifer Marzano. The university's fundraising efforts will soon start making a tangible difference in the stadium's appearance. Winterization work has already been completed to ensure that the 106,572- seat venue can host Penn State's first- round College Football Playoff game Dec. 21 against SMU. The matchup with the Mustangs will be PSU's first December home game since it played host to Michi- gan State and Illinois on Dec. 12 and 19, respectively, during the COVID-delayed 2020 season. Penn State plans to start its west side renovation after the home slate is com- plete, which means that construction could begin as soon as January. The university has released a hand- ful of artist renderings of the renovated stadium, but they are preliminary in na- ture and might not fully reflect the ap- pearance of the finished facility. All of the renderings that have been released to date are of the exterior. Nothing has been shown of how the interior will look when complete. Premium and luxury seating will be added, along with a new press box. Work will continue through the sum- mer of 2027, but the stadium will be op- erational for the '25 and '26 seasons. It is not yet known how the stadium's seating capacity will be affected by the project. Kraft said last summer that the uni- versity is expecting the additional pre- mium seating to help pay for necessary improvements throughout the facility, which has served as Penn State's home at its present location since 1960. "We need the revenue to come off that building to pay for the renovation," Kraft said in July. "We don't have enough pre- mium seating. That has to be a part of it. "It wasn't like we threw a dart and said, 'Hey, this is what it is.' That's what it costs to do what we need to do to get the build- ing up healthy and alive again, and then to fix a lot of the other issues. Then when you do that, you've got to pay for it. The west side premium [seating] is going to help us pay for it." ■ Stadium Project Continues To Receive Donor Support G R E G P I C K E L | G R E G . P I C K E L @ O N 3 . C O M Penn State has received more than $65 million in private donations for its overhaul of Beaver Stadium. Construction on the $700 million project is expected to begin in earnest in the coming months. RENDERING COURTESY PENN STATE ATHLETICS