According to university President Graham Spanier, the project is essential to meet the ever-rising demand for Nittany Lion tickets. Coach Joe Paterno concurred.
"Look at the things the other Big Ten schools are doing," the legendary coach said. "They are more attractive than our facilities right now. In the long run, our program would suffer without the changes."
Let the great NCAA stadium war begin!
The expansion would give Beaver Stadium capacity for 103,500 fans, making it the largest in all of college football. That distinction is currently held by Tennessee's Neyland Stadium.
But Penn State won't hold the distinction for long.
By the time the Beaver Stadium expansion is completed sometime around 2001, Michigan will have expanded their home field to fit over 107,000 seats.
The entire scope of NCAA football is about to change drastically. No longer will the measure of a true team be a Bowl Game victory, or the National Championship. Maybe someone will get the idea that you could fit a lot more people into the stands if you eliminated those unnecessary, intrusive bleachers. Who needs fan comfort when you can have astronomical attendance figures?
But I digress...
The Penn State expansion project will include the following:
- The addition of a second tier of seats in the south end zone.
- 6,000 new general admission seats and 4,000 new club-level seats.
- A minimum of 58 enclosed skyboxes in a three-level pavilion behind the east stands.
To fund the project, the University will issue bonds, and will also use revenue from the lease of the skyboxes, club-level seating, and ticket sales from the new seats and other contributions.
Paterno called the project an investment in the future of Nittany Lion football.
"This ensures no matter who the coach is in the future that the school will be competitive," the coach told reporters. "This will help us do hopefully as good a job as we've done in the past and hopefully better."
Go To Page: 1
