Penn State Nittany Lions Football at Beaver Stadium
One of the most storied programs in college football history, the Penn State Nittany Lions offer a game-day experience second to none. Generations of Penn State fans congregate on Saturday morning in the Beaver Stadium parking lot for an iconic tailgate experience. Then the Blue Band's thunderous music sets the stage for 106,000+ excited fans as they welcome the team out onto the field chanting "We are Penn State! We are Penn State!" The Beav was voted USA Today's "Ultimate Stadium" in 2019, and it's the longtime home to the seven-time national champion Nittany Lions. The program has churned out NFL talents like steady running back Larry Johnson, punishing linebacker LaVar Arrington, Hall of Famers Franco Harris and Mike Munchak and, most recently, the dazzling Saquon Barkley of the New York Giants. The storied student section is one of the largest in the country, and they set the tone for loud and energetic marquee match-ups against Big Ten conference opponents like the Ohio State Buckeyes, Michigan Wolverines and Indiana Hoosiers. And while State College's temperatures can get cold in the dawn of winter, it feels like all of Happy Valley is at the stadium and the weather's nothing that a thick pair of gloves and a second (or third) layer can't take care of.
Penn State Nittany Lions Football History
The Penn State Nittany Lions play their games at Beaver Stadium at University Park, PA, just outside the Penn State Campus in State College, PA. With seating for 106,572, it has the second-largest capacity of any stadium in the Western Hemisphere. Since their first season in 1887, the Nittany Lions played their games as an independent program, before joining the Big Ten conference in 1993. The team has won seven national titles (two claimed), five of which came under the legendary Coach Joe Paterno. They have an overall bowl game record of 29-18-2, including a sparkling 7-0 record in the Fiesta Bowl, and they've been to a bowl game every year under current coach James Franklin.
