Where does Penn State’s Beaver Stadium rank?

November 2, 2024 Vaseline blog 0

Where does Penn State’s Beaver Stadium rank?

Saturday’s game between No. 3 Penn State and No. 4 Ohio State is one of the most anticipated of the 2024 college football season, as two of the Big Ten’s preeminent powers square off with a conference title race and College Football Playoff positioning in the balance .

Given those sizable stakes, the matchup will command a large audience, not just 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, the Nittany Lions’ home 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. Beaver Stadium’s sheer enormity is a sign that Penn State football matters and that it means something 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 stack up against 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 largest stadiums in college football:

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Beaver Stadium capacity

Beaver Stadium’s capacity is officially listed at 106,572, although crowds at the stadium often exceed that 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 ahead of the 2001 season.

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Biggest college football stadiums

With its listed 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 biggest college football stadiums:

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

  • Michigan Stadium (Michigan): 107,601
  • Beaver Stadium (Penn State): 106,572
  • 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