See how Beaver Stadium set a Penn State football attendance record vs. Ohio State

Posted by author November 2, 2024 Football

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STATE COLLEGE − Beaver Stadium broke the 111,000 attendance mark today for the first time in its long-standing history.

Yes, the biggest crowd ever to watch a Penn State football game gathered here today to take in the undefeated and No. 3 Nittany Lions’ long-awaited match with the Ohio State Buckeyes.

The official attendance of 111,030 was announced in the middle of the third quarter with the Lions fighting hard but trailing the Buckeyes, 17-13.

The mark breaks the record set six years ago when the then-Top 10 Lions and Buckeyes played a thriller under the lights. An overflow crowd of 110,889 saw the Lions lose in the final minutes, 27-26.

Beaver Stadium’s official seating capacity is 106,572. It is the nation’s second-largest stadium behind Michigan (107,601). The Buckeyes’ home, Ohio Stadium, is third at 102,780.

This all-time record comes after Beaver Stadium nearly set a single-season attendance mark in 2023 (for a seven-game home schedule). It drew a total of 758,864 fans. That averaged to 108,409 fans per game, second all-time in program history. It ranks just behind the 2007 season, in which Penn State averaged 108,917 fans per game.

Last season featured three of the Top 10 crowds ever here: 110,856 vs. Michigan; 110,830 vs. Iowa; and 110,747 vs. West Virginia.

Beaver Stadium’s capacity has been above 106,000 since the last major expansion in 2001.

Most recently, Penn State officials have begun a $700 million renovation of the stadium. They’ve said the project − which includes demolishing and rebuilding the stadium’s West side − will reduce capacity.

Penn State Athletic Director Patrick Kraft has assured, however, that the plan is to maintain Beaver Stadium’s capacity above 100,000.

Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.