Where is Penn State’s Beaver Stadium?

On By Littum

Saturday’s match between No. 3 Penn State and No. College football playoff positioning in the balance sheet.

Given those significant stakes, the matchup will command a large audience not only on television, which could draw something close to or even surpass the 9.96 million viewers their game last year received, but inside the stadium.

Beaver Stadium, home of the Nittany Lions for the past 64 years, is one of the largest stadiums in college football, a towering structure that rises high above the central Pennsylvania landscape that immediately surrounds it.

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The size of the venue says something about it and the program that calls it home. The sheer size of Beaver Stadium is a sign that Penn State football matters, and that it matters to the more than 100,000 fans who flock to it from various corners of the Commonwealth on fall Saturdays.

Just how big is the stadium? And how does it compare to some of college football’s other famous venues, like Ohio State’s Ohio Stadium?

Here’s what you need to know about Beaver Stadium and where it ranks among the greatest stadiums in college football:

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Beaver Stadium capacity

Beaver Stadium’s capacity is officially listed as 106,572, although the attendance at the stadium often exceeds this figure. The Nittany Lions‘ 24-15 loss last season to eventual national champion Michigan, for example, had an announced attendance of 110,856.

The stadium reached its current capacity following an expansion and renovation project that was completed prior to the 2001 season.

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Largest college football stadiums

With its stated seating capacity, Beaver Stadium is the second-largest stadium in college football and the second-largest venue in the Big Ten.

Here’s a look at the 10 largest college football stadiums:

This list only includes stadiums that are the primary venue for an FBS football team, so the Cotton Bowl, which would have otherwise been number 10, is not included.

  • Michigan Stadium (Michigan): 107,601
  • Beaver Stadium (Penn State): 106,572
  • Ohio Stadium (Ohio Stadium): 102,780
  • Kyle Field (Texas A&M): 102,733
  • Tiger Stadium (LSU): 102,321
  • Neyland Stadium (Tennessee): 101,915
  • Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (Texas): 100,119
  • Bryant-Denny Stadium (Alabama): 100,077
  • Sanford Stadium (Georgia): 93,033
  • Rose Bowl (UCLA): 91,136