The second biggest stadium in America will soon have a new title.

Beaver Stadium is in the midst of a $700 million revitalization project that will bring new life to Penn State football’s historic home. While the project’s scope is massive, the exact size of the finished product has yet to be announced. As of Thursday, we have gained some clarity on what that number might be in 2026, and when all is said and done. 

With the addition of an upper seating bowl on the stadium’s west side, fans can expect a capacity of around 108,000 for the upcoming season, with a chance of exceeding 109,000.

“We’ll start the season off with the middle section bleachers, and then I think by the USC game, all of those upper bleachers will be in,” Pat Kraft told Audrey Snyder of Inside the Lions. “What people don’t understand is there are all these nooks and crannies that we’re using now.”

Where do things stand with the Beaver Stadium renovation this summer?

Yes, there will be fans in the upper west side this season. The new sound system will be ready by the end of July. The capacity for 2026?

Caught up with AD Pat Kraft: https://t.co/E1LzzztvBK pic.twitter.com/qMmmeLra6B

— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) June 25, 2026

This number is especially significant, as it would move Beaver Stadium’s capacity ahead of that of Michigan Stadium, making it the largest in the country. The Big House has held the crown since 1998. Beaver Stadium will subsequently become the third-largest stadium in the world, trailing Rungrado 1st of May Stadium in North Korea and Narendra Modi Stadium in India.

The renovation also marks an increased capacity of nearly 3,000 from its pre-construction size, initially holding and often exceeding 106,572. For the 2025-26 season, Beaver Stadium operated at an official capacity of 106,304, with temporary bleacher structures on the west side and in the northeast and southeast corners contributing to the number.

It is yet to be seen just how many people Beaver Stadium can truly hold, as standing-room tickets and stadium employees are typically counted toward the “total attendance” that fans see on the jumbotron during games. The Penn State record currently stands at 111,030, a number set two years ago in the Nittany Lions’ 2024 loss to Ohio State.

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