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This summer should see decisions on Beaver Stadium renovations

Beaver Stadium during the football game vs. Temple, Sept. 20, 2008

Any possible Beaver Stadium renovations — or a partial rebuild — should be presented this summer, as Penn State plans for the future of the 107,000-capacity facility to include more than Nittany Lions football.

The athletic department relies heavily on revenues from Beaver Stadium and would love to schedule additional events there. But the stadium is old and lacks a lot of amenities and infrastructure: the plumbing system must be weatherized every November, the concourses are small, and the luxury area are lacking. From AP:

“I think that’s what we’re taking a look at as administrators, the business aspect of what we do — using Beaver Stadium for more than seven Saturdays,” Penn State Athletic Director Sandy Barbour told The Associated Press. “That makes perfectly good sense to me.”

The NHL has inquired about playing at Beaver Stadium, Barbour confirmed. The athletic department also would like to host summer concerts, FIFA events and bring Pennsylvania’s high school football championships to the stadium.

“Where Beaver Stadium is today from an infrastructure standpoint, it would be very difficult to do that,” Barbour said.

Any Beaver Stadium renovations could be part of a larger plan to overhaul athletic facilities at Penn State, affecting some 18 facilities used by the school’s 31 athletic programs. There have been some successful upgrades to Penn State facilities, like Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, which was built by the school but managed by the State College Spikes of the short-season A NY-Penn League.

RELATED STORIES: Penn State mulls Beaver Stadium future

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