PIAA has a new home for football championships. Centre County coaches, players wish it was Beaver Stadium
Bald Eagle Area sophomore Cam’ron Watkins has long dreamed of playing at Beaver Stadium, but when the PIAA announced the location of state football championships for the next four years, he learned that won’t happen while he’s in high school.
PIAA announced late last month that the 2022-25 state football championships would be held at Cumberland Valley High School, which won the bid to host the championship over Penn State’s Beaver Stadium, among others.
Regardless of the location of the state championship, Watkins would be excited to play in it, though it’d be extra special if it were at Beaver Stadium.
“It would mean a lot to us because I know a lot of players on the team love Penn State and watch most of their games,” Watkins said. “I know I especially would love to because I would be able to meet (head coach) James Franklin and I’d be where some of the best players in Penn state history have played.”
His coach, Jesse Nagle, shares his view. The Eagles went 8-3 last season and have a litany of returning starters this fall. Nagle’s sights are set on the state football championship, which he’d hoped would be at Beaver Stadium.
“I think it would’ve been an outstanding experience and would’ve been a great experience for our kids,” Nagle said. “Especially since we’re so close to home and playing at such a crazy venue, but at the end of the day, just getting to that point is an outstanding accomplishment. Hopefully no matter where it is, we can find a way to get there.”
How the PIAA made its decision
Hersheypark Stadium has been the host of PIAA’s state football championships for the past 24 seasons. For the four-year contract, Beaver Stadium, Cumberland Valley, Altoona’s Mansion Park or a return to Hersheypark were the choices, according to Bob Lombardi, executive director of the PIAA.
The decision for Cumberland Valley came down to numbers and upgrades to the school’s facilities that made it an attractive offer to the PIAA, he said. The bid was a total of $2,000.
“We did a comparative analysis of the submitted sites’ information and there’s over 36 items on there, including geographic (information) and easy access to highways,” Lombardi said. “(Cumberland Valley is) in south central Pennsylvania and they’re very easy to get to. A lot of our schools from the east and the west go there and play contests in the regular season. So, it’s not that some of our schools aren’t familiar with it.”
Cumberland Valley is set to replace its turf this August, along with renovations to the press boxes on both sides of the stadium, and each side of the stadium will have full, individual lockers for the players. There’s a media center, an official’s locker room, an athletic training room for each team to use, an indoor practice facility, two outdoor practice facilities, an administrative office and an officials’ locker room.
With Penn State’s bid, the PIAA would’ve ended up paying $140,000, Lombardi said.
The Happy Valley Adventure Bureau offered to reduce the costs of hosting the championships at Beaver Stadium, Lombardi said, adding that the price would still be far too much to pay. There were other factors involved, including Penn State’s grass surface. The PIAA hasn’t played championship games on a grass field in over 20 seasons.
“If any type of weather comes in with six games in three days, that’s a pretty heavy lift,” Lombardi said. “The other part was the cost — $240,000 and the (Happy Valley Adventure Bureau) bucking up $100,000, still gives us $140,000. That is $138,000 more than the other place (Cumberland Valley) that we’re going to.”
Coaches keep hope for the future
Clearfield head coach Tim Janocko is set to enter his 38th season in 2022. His Bisons went 11-1 last season and he knows a thing or two about playing at Beaver Stadium. The former Penn Stater played under former head coach Joe Paterno and graduated from the university in 1981.
He’d like the current athletes to experience what he felt as a player at Beaver Stadium.
“I would love to see the playoffs at Penn State,” Janocko said. “I think in Texas and some of the other states where football is a huge part of their state, they play at a big venue. It’s a neat thing, I would like to see that. I don’t know if things could be made affordable. I know that the PIAA, they do a good job as far as doing things to make it cost-effective. There’s a lot of things in there that I’m not privy to, but in my personal opinion, I’d love to see it at Penn State.”
State College head coach Matt Lintal has experience inside Beaver Stadium as well. In October 2019, while the Little Lion’s Memorial Field was closed for renovations, the team took on Cumberland Valley in front of a litany of fans. State College won 33-21.
The Little Lions were just a game away from making the state championship in 2021. Once they get an opportunity to make another push in the playoffs, Lintal hopes that one day, his team finishes off their run back home in State College.
“Despite the fact that the stadium wasn’t full, having nearly 10,000 fans there made it seem loud. It was an incredible experience that we are still extremely grateful for. I certainly wish that more kids and coaches had that once-in-a-lifetime experience. I think having the state championship in State College (even if it were a combination of Memorial Field and Beaver Stadium) would be an unbelievable experience for so many high school football players.”
