In January 2026, Penn State men’s and women’s hockey both played an outdoor game at Beaver Stadium. The women’s team set a new attendance record with 1,838 fans. The men’s team also set an attendance record, with 74,575 fans filling Beaver Stadium.

Folks have been asking for hockey at Beaver Stadium for a while, and it happened. Now it’s time to ask: what if women’s volleyball came to the Bryce Jordan Center for a few matches each season?

Now, not every match needs to be held there, but what if, for example, this season’s match against No. 1 Nebraska were held at the BJC? That match drew a nearly sold-out crowd at Rec Hall, but imagine the BJC packed with a sea of white.

Women’s volleyball has proven it deserves a bigger stage since December 2024, when head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley led the Nittany Lions to their eighth NCAA national championship. It was also a very historic moment, as Schumacher-Cawley was the first female head coach to win an NCAA DI national championship in women’s volleyball.

The game drew 21,860 fans.

This past September, the Nittany Lions took the court at Wrigley Field, where they lost to Kentucky 3-1 in the first-ever volleyball match played at the historic ballpark. Attendance was 43,067 — a sold-out crowd.

Imagine the students filling the wRECking Crew for the matchup at the BJC, a sea of white with their shakers and hard hats ready to cause chaos, fans on the edge of their seats, the volume, and the entire atmosphere.

Penn State has proven that it can create memorable sporting events in different arenas.

For instance, the Penn State men’s basketball upset against No. 12 Illinois, 90-89, at Rec Hall. Women’s Volleyball deserves its own spotlight to build a tradition for students, alumni, family, and friends to rally around.

Not to mention Schumacher-Cawley literally said it’s something she is interested in.

“Oh, I would love it. It would be a cool atmosphere, for sure,” she said in 2023 about playing in the BJC. “I know Coach [Rose] had said that they talked about having one at the BJC when he was here, but it never [materialized]. I want to win matches. I love Rec Hall. I think to try and do something somewhere else could be a great experience, but I’m happy here at Rec.”

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