Penn State’s recent renovations to Beaver Stadium promise to add comfort and elbow room that the west side of the building has sorely lacked for many years.
The university is also incorporating some seats that redefine "nosebleeds."
Media were able to share images and video from the tippy-top of the new structure for the first time on Monday, Aug. 17. The view is breathtaking — if you’re the kind of person who likes scenery — or terrifying, if your preference is to remain as close to terra firma as possible.
The stadium's highest vantage points appear to stretch closer to the heavens than the surrounding mountains of Happy Valley themselves.
Hey! I
got a Beaver Stadium tour last week and saw the latest phase of the on-going renovation. More photos/videos/thoughts in here: https://t.co/fZBu5uu7Fr The view from the upper west side: pic.twitter.com/ljjbiP6Loy
— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) August 17, 2026
Penn State opened Beaver Stadium for a tour recently, in which we scaled the new west bleachers.
— Mark Wogenrich (@MarkWogenrich) August 17, 2026
You’re up there with the Nittany Lion weathervane. Also heard the new audio system being tested. Big place with a big sound. pic.twitter.com/fdfBE4asz8
You’ll notice that the highest seats now look down quite a bit on the highest seats in the north and south end zones that themselves were some of the biggest peaks in college football before Beaver Stadium's renovation.
Penn State began the core structural alterations to the stadium in early 2025 as part of a project with a price tag of over $700 million. Renovations were ongoing last season, when the school installed temporary bleachers on the west side where the new permanent stands have since been installed.
A final revised capacity has not been announced yet, but athletic director Patrick Kraft said in a June interview that the number could surpass 108,000, which would make Beaver Stadium the largest football venue in the country, college or pro. Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor is the current title-holder.
The changes will add significantly more luxury and club seating, widen cramped concourses and improve restroom capacity so that spectators can get back to the action more quickly.
Fans will get their first look at the upgrades during the Nittany Lions' Sept. 5 season opener against Marshall. Coach Matt Campbell's team will begin the year ranked No. 17 in the LBM Coaches Poll.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: The view from Penn State's renovated Beaver Stadium is stunning - and dizzying
