Penn State Football is set to host one of the biggest games in Beaver Stadium history Saturday, as the No. 3 Penn State Nittany Lions face the No. 4 ranked Ohio State Buckeyes.
The top-five matchup is the first for the stadium since 1999. The Nittany Lions have not knocked off the Ohio State Buckeyes since 2016, but is this the year that Penn State can pull off the upset and take the next step as a program? And can Penn State set a record that may never be broken at the same time?
Penn State’s attendance record for a game at Beaver Stadium was set against the Ohio State Buckeyes on September 29, 2018, at 110,889 spectators.
Beaver Stadium has the second largest capacity of any stadium in the country, behind only the Big House at Michigan. Penn State regularly sees sellouts with over 107,000 fans taking in Penn State on any given Saturday, but can Penn State approach the attendance record this Saturday against Ohio State?
One complication for Penn State to set the all-time attendance record this Saturday is the timing of the game.
Almost every game on top of the attendance records for Penn State is a night game, for good reason. State College is not an easy location to get to for a lot of fans, being in the middle of Pennsylvania, especially with a small airport.
Noon timeslots on Saturdays present difficulties for fans traveling from farther away to get to the game on time. Night games on the other hand allow more fans (and recruits) to make their way to State College before kickoff.
However, despite the noon kickoff, I expect Penn State to approach or break the attendance record Saturday for the top-five matchup with the Buckeyes. A LOT of eyes are on State College this weekend with ESPN’s College Gameday, Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff, CBS’s Any Given Saturday Tour, and more coming to preview what could be one of the games of the year for the 2024 season.
Why the record may never be broken by Penn State Football
If Penn State Football is able to set an attendance record this Saturday against the Buckeyes, it could be a permanent record that could never be broken.
Penn State’s Beaver Stadium is set to undergo a substantial $700 million renovation over the next four years, potentially slightly reducing capacity at the iconic stadium.
If the overall capacity of 106,572 seats is reduced, any record set this Saturday against Ohio State could ultimately end up as a forever record for Penn State’s Beaver Stadium.
Why the record could be broken later this season
On the other hand, Penn State may have one more massive opportunity to break the all-time attendance record this season before the Beaver Stadium renovations begin early next year.
With the expansion of the college football playoff to 12 teams, the first round of the playoff has been moved from bowl games and neutral sites to the campuses of the fifth through eighth seeds of the playoff. If Penn State hosts a playoff game in December in Happy Valley, expect any attendance record set Saturday, or the overall record of 110,889 against Ohio State in 2018 if it is not broken this weekend, to be broken for the playoff game.
As the number three team in the country, Penn State has the opportunity to break through for the first time in program history into the college football playoff this season. And while the Nittany Lions will be hoping for a Big Ten championship and a first-round playoff bye, a home playoff game in front of a record-breaking crowd would be a hell of a consolation prize.
MORE: Can James Franklin Finally Shake Ohio State Monkey off Penn State’s Back?
A note to our readers; If you make a purchase through one of our affiliate links, we may receive a commission
- Could Penn State Football Set an All-Time Record That Can’t Be Broken Saturday? - October 30, 2024
- Jason Kelce Coming to Penn State Saturday to Attempt Viral Moment - October 30, 2024
- Beau or Drew: What We Learned from 20 Simulations of Penn State Football vs. Ohio State on EA Sports College Football 25 - October 29, 2024