Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1544053
A P R I L 2 0 2 6 2 1 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M players have taken in leaving the Big 12 for the Big Ten, at least in terms of the attention that is now being paid to them. Iowa State's 51-year-old home field, Jack Trice Stadium, has an official ca- pacity of 61,500. It would be the ninth- smallest stadium in the Big Ten if the Cyclones switched leagues, but it's the second-largest in the Big 12, surpassed only by BYU's LaVell Edwards Stadium with a listed capacity of 63,470. Beaver Stadium is in an entirely dif- ferent category. Even with its west grandstand under construction as part of the university's ongoing $700 million renovation project, Penn State's football home is one of the biggest stadiums on earth. Its capacity last year was 106,304, ranking fourth in the world. And massive though it may be, Beaver Stadium isn't even the biggest facility the Nittany Lions are going to play in this fall. That distinction goes to Michigan Stadium, which holds 107,601 and will play host to PSU's game against the Wol- verines on Oct. 17. In short, everything is bigger in the Big Ten, and the staff will use the spring game — which has drawn estimated crowds of more than 60,000 in 11 of the past 13 years in which the game was held — as a way to help everyone get accli- mated to that reality. Backup QB Battle While Campbell and many of his play- ers will be getting their first taste of Penn State's game-day experience, attendees probably won't see anything particularly revealing in return. That's just the nature of spring football, and it's compounded this year by the absence of several key players. A trio of redshirt juniors — tight end Andrew Rappleyea, offensive tackle Anthony Donkoh and linebacker Tony Rojas — are working their way back from injuries and don't figure to be available this spring. Sophomore linebacker Alex Tatsch is hurt, too, having missed the Pin- stripe Bowl after suffering an unspecified injury in practice leading up to the game, and a pair of Iowa State transfers — red- shirt senior tight end Gabe Burkle and redshirt senior safety Jeremiah Cooper — are recovering from ACL tears they suf- fered last year. And then there's Becht. The redshirt senior told reporters in February that he was recovering nicely from surgery in De- cember to repair the labrum in his left (nonthrowing) shoulder. But the staff is not going to put him in harm's way this spring, especially since his five backups are virtually devoid of Division I playing experience. Becht's status presents a conundrum for the coaches. They are eager to get him some reps in a game-like situation, but they can't afford for him to suffer any sort of setback in his recovery. It would be hard to overstate the importance of Matt Campbell rang the victory bell when he was introduced as Penn State's new head coach in December. He said he wants players to get accli- mated to Beaver Stadium in the Blue-White Game. PHOTO BY MARK SELDERS/PENN STATE ATHLETICS