What is the new capacity at Beaver Stadium? Here's how close Penn State will get to 107,000 in 2025

The area in and around Beaver Stadium has been an active construction site since Penn State concluded the home portion of its 2024 schedule with a win over SMU in the first College Football Playoff game at the iconic venue. Now, however, the work is coming to a temporary end. A multi-year $700 million renovation project will pause for the 2025 season. It started when the press box fell in early January and continues today, just 11 days before the Lions open their 12th season under James Franklin against Nevada on Aug. 30.

Temporary bleachers are up on the stadium’s west side, and other bleachers have been put in the northeast and southeast corners to pack in as many fans as possible for the most hyped team in years. Since the work began, however, an important question has remained unanswered: How many fans will the stadium be able to hold amid the renovation work? The official capacity as of 2024 is 107,000. But, the biggest crowd in the venue’s history is 111,030 for last year’s game with Ohio State.

What will the capacity be in 2025?

“Our official capacity will be 106,304,” Kraft said. “So we’re a little bit below our normal number. But we are ready to go. The building, and the most hostile and exciting environment in all of sports, will be ready. Our fans are going to be ready to rock and roll when we kick off for Nevada. That was very important to me and our team that we were we did not want anything to get in the way of the greatest environment in all sports.”

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Kraft’s words are hardly shocking. He has been hopeful for months that capacity would not dip during the construction work. And, he was adamant that the stadium would still hold over 100,000 spectators regardless of the final number.

“We will be over 100,000 for sure,” Kraft said in 2024. “Continue to evaluate that. Want to have as big a stadium as we can. We want everyone to be able to have an opportunity to come to the games, and over 100,000 fans is really important. It’s part of our DNA.”

Penn State is now preparing to welcome fans to town to see its new setup for the first time. Kraft beleives it will go smoothly, even though it seems fair to say that some hiccups for the opener would not be shocking.

“The structure is safe,” Kraft said. “It is safe? been looked at. It’s been inspected.”