It’s ready. Beaver Stadium and the temporary bleachers on the upper west side of the iconic 65-year-old stadium have been tested and re-tested, and are safe and secure for No. 2-ranked Penn State’s 2025 football season-opener on Aug. 30 against Nevada.
And that’s a promise, Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft said on Tuesday.
Kraft, who has been on the job for just a little more than three years, told a gathering of about 40 media types Tuesday on campus that the $700 million Beaver Stadium renovation project is on track and on financial target.
Kraft had a lot more to say about the stadium project, as well as a potential 24-team College Football Playoff and the demands of the new college football economic landscape. We tackle the stadium issues first:
1. Seating capacity in Beaver Stadium will be 106,304. Official capacity prior to the renovation efforts was 106,572. The all-time attendance record is 111,030 — set on Nov. 2, 2024, when Ohio State defeated Penn State, 20-13. The difference between the record and the 2025 capacity is 4,458 — about 4%.
Kraft: “We’re a little below our normal number. But we’re ready to go. The building and the most hostile and exciting environment in all of sports will be ready. Our fans are going to be ready to rock and roll when we kick off for Nevada. That was very important to me and our team — that we did not want anything to get in the way of the greatest environment in all sports.”
2. Is it safe to sit in the upper deck of temporary bleachers on the west side? Yes, in a word.
Kraft: “The structure is safe. It is safe, been looked at. It’s been inspected…They have signed off on it. We have the keys to the castle. We are in that building. We are off and running.
“The structure has met code. It’s good to go. We have had several people walking up and down in it. I’m going to be honest with you: Awesome seats. The view is spectacular. From up there, I get that there has been a lot of fanfare around that, which is great. But before and after every game, it will continue to get inspected.”
3. Can fans sitting in the west side temporary bleachers lose dropped keys and cellphones? In a word (or three), Yeah, well, maybe.
Kraft: “The footprint is not like a high school gym. I’m not going to say you’re not going to lose your keys or something. What I will tell you is, there’s no hole in the floor. The floor is a solid frame.
“…We literally had a conversation today. What can we do to look at that? We will have staff there. Keys fall. They’re going to be down there underneath it. Now, the thoroughfare that you go [down] is covered…When you walk down the backside of the bleachers, that is covered. So, it’s not like someone’s going to get hit. That is protected, that is covered. We will have people there if something were to happen. But there is a firm footing.”
4. Is the stadium on track to be finished for the 2027 season? Kraft says it is. The old press box was demolished on Jan. 4, 2025. The 2027 season-opener in Beaver Stadium is Sept. 4 against Syracuse. That’s a mere 973 days away. Tuesday was Day No. 227 — which is about 23% of the way there chronologically.
Kraft: “I think we’re in the second quarter. First quarter, kind of getting the demo, getting everything down, and [then] up and running. So yes, knock on wood, but we’re really in a good spot. We’re moving. We’re on time.”
5. The bottom-line: Penn State is hitting the numbers it needs to on its $700 million budget for the full project.
Kraft: “We’re on budget. I have no choice but to be on budget. We’re on budget, we’re on time. …I’m not saying I’m sleeping well at night. But I do feel really comfortable about where we are financially.”
MORE KRAFTY ANSWERS
The Penn State AD, speaking in his first broad-based press conference since February, also addressed a few other issues:
6. A 24-team College Football Playoff, the idea of Big Ten Commissioner Tony Peritti shared with the conference’s 18 athletic directors, including Kraft.
Kraft: “It’s really early. It got out probably sooner than Tony wanted it to…it’s an interesting concept. I like it, personally.”
7. The impact of Penn State’s new $20.5 million payroll for its athletes now in effect as a result of the House v. NCAA settlement.
Kraft: “I would be lying if I said we weren’t tightening our belt.”
8. Penn State and NIL. PSU has the potential to be No. 1, says its AD.
Kraft: “I am really optimistic about where we’re at. And I believe we are positioned as good as anybody in the country because of our power. The Penn State power is real… We are humming now. We are just getting into our stride. And our fans and supporters have been truly remarkable in getting us there…I am excited about this new world, because it is built for us. It’s built for a power brand like Penn State. We just got to go. We have to make the most of it.”
9. Penn State’s focus is on winning national championships. PSU won nattys in women’s volleyball and wrestling in 2024-25. There’s real potential for more in the season ahead.
Kraft: “It is a great problem to have that all of your teams are competing for championships. And you don’t want to take your foot off the gas for any of that. But, honestly, we’re going to have to look at it from an administrative standpoint.
“The question is, ‘Does this help us provide a better experience for our student-athletes?’ Which is really, ‘Does it help us win a national championship?’ And if it does, let’s do it. And if it doesn’t, let’s not do it. And I give all the credit to our coaches, who are starting to understand that, because there’s only so much you can do.”
