What to expect in Beaver Stadium for Blue-White practice as construction continues
Penn State will host Blue-White weekend in one week, with the centerpiece being the team’s 15th and final spring practice in Beaver Stadium — which will be open to the public with free admission for the 1 p.m. event.
And while there will be plenty of activities around the weekend, including a kids’ combine Friday night in Holuba Hall, an apparel and equipment sale Saturday in Pegula Ice Arena and an autograph session in the stadium prior to Saturday’s practice, fans will also be able to get a look at the stadium’s ongoing $700 million renovation project.
Fans inside of Beaver Stadium will have a view of the project that is scheduled to be completed ahead of the 2027 season.
Here’s what is expected to be different this time around.
Visual changes
For the first time, the vertical structure on the west side of the stadium has begun to take shape. That side, which is the focal point of the construction project, is being turned into much more than a stadium, with it expected to be used as a welcome center to the university and an event center in the future.
While that aspect won’t be visible until next year, the bones of the structure have begun to take shape, with the height on the west — which is expected to extend beyond the height of the other three sides of the stadium — becoming apparent. From the inside, fans will be able to get a grasp the steepness of the new structure. Because, while the structure will be much higher, it will also be much closer to the field.
Practical changes
Much like last year, the west side of the stadium will not be open to fans during Blue-White weekend (which is also true of the upper decks on the north and south end zones). There will also be no entering the stadium on that side of the venue, with Gates A, B, C and E opening up at 11 a.m., two hours prior to the practice’s 1 p.m. start.
The closures are not just external, with the internal area also off limits to fans as construction only temporarily pauses for the event to meet the completion timeline.
Looking ahead
With the project slated to be completed before the 2027 season, this is set to be the last season Penn State will play in the incomplete venue. Like last year, the 2026 season will once again feature additional temporary seating.
This offseason’s construction — the second of three phases in the project — will lead to the external structure being in place. The third phase, which will take place next offseason, will see the entirety of the renovation come together, which includes several new premium seating options, a third upper deck and a wider concourse to help circulation in the stadium.
Those premium seats include executive suites and loge boxes, which have already sold out according to the renovation project website, along with two types of club seating.
The clubs seating can still be purchased from the official renovation project website.
