Widened concourses to welcome center: All we know about Penn State’s $700M worth renovation set to take place by 2027

There are always ways to improve a stadium and it appears that the Penn State Nittany Lions are ready to do that. Beaver Stadium is currently the second-largest stadium in the United States with a capacity of 106,572 and is reportedly going to be undergoing a $700 million renovation after the board of trustees approved the decision.

The university's athletics department tweeted out the following clip after the announcement became official.

The vote by the Penn State governing body was 26-2 in favor of it with three abstentions. Despite the objections, school president Neeli Bendapudi spoke about how he believed this was a critical decision to be made.

"This project is vital. It's vital to substantially transform the fan experience and the community experience. So many lives are dependent on the success of Penn State, and this [project] will set us up for a successful future."

The renovations that are expected to be made include the widening of concourses around the stadium, new escalators and videoboards, a 21,000 square foot welcome center and "winterization work" with the belief that it could host a College Football Playoff game.

These upgrades are projected to be completed by August 2027.

When was the last time Penn State's Beaver Stadium had significant renovations?

The Nittany Lions have not renovated Beaver Stadium in a pretty long time as the last significant renovation of the building was in 2001. With the expansion of the Big Ten Conference and how it is now a coast-to-coast conference, there is a bigger push to have new and improved stadiums.

Athletic director Pat Kraft discussed how there was urgency behind getting these renovations started.

"We are behind, both in fixing the necessary structural needs in the stadium, and [in] what we provide for our fans. It is time for Penn State to catch up to its peers. Beaver Stadium should be more than just average, more than just comparable to others... Doing nothing is not an option." h/t Front Office Sports

The University of Nebraska recently pushed back its plans to renovate its Memorial Stadium, but PSU did not want to suffer that same fate.