Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1531683
F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 5 15 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M One of the first big steps in Beaver Sta- dium's reconstruction took place on the morning of Jan. 4 when the press box was demolished. In front of a small crowd of onlook- ers, a construction crew used explosives to knock out the beams supporting the structure. The press box, which had tow- ered above the stadium's west grand- stand for 64 years, tumbled backward into the parking lot, kicking up a cloud of light snow — one final white out for the venerable facility. The demolition was part of a $700 million project that is expected to take roughly two and a half years to complete and will transform large portions of the Nittany Lion football team's home field. The next steps include more demolition work on the west side of the venue. "There will be workers on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week for the next six weeks to demo, clear and prep the area for the con- struction that will take place prior to the 2025 season," PSU officials said in a prepared statement. Penn State has not said how it plans to accommodate coaches, TV and ra- dio broadcasters, stat crews and media members while construction is under- way, but few would dispute that the sta- dium's press facilities were overdue for an upgrade. The press box was known by generations of reporters for its spartan nature. Football coach James Franklin al- luded to its reputation when he referenced a tweet he'd seen in which the facility was described as the Big Ten's worst. "Whether you agree with that, I'm not sure," he told reporters at a media avail- ability prior to the Orange Bowl, "but we were fighting to be in the argument." It's not yet known what the revamped press box will look like or even where it will be, but Franklin said he's excited to see the stadium take shape in the com- ing years. "I know there was some anxiety about [the renovation]," he said. "I think it's going to create some challenges in the short term, but in the long term it will be in everybody's best interests and will be a stadium that everyone is really proud of." — Greg Pickel A familiar sight since 1960, the Beaver Stadium press box came down just before 8 a.m. on Jan. 4. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS Press Box Demolition Launches Stadium Project With A Bang T h e N i t t a n y L i o n m a s c o t p u s h e d t h e ceremonial plunger that brought down PSU's press box. PHOTO BY CALEB CRAIG/PENN STATE ATHLETICS