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Where does Penn State's Beaver Stadium rank?

Saturday's game between No. 3 Penn State and No. 4 Ohio State is one of the most highly anticipated games of the 2024 college football season, as two of the Big Ten's top powers are in the race for the conference title and berth in face off in the College Football Playoff.

Given these significant stakes, the game will attract a large audience, not just on television, which could match or even exceed the 9.96 million viewers the game reached last year, but also in the stadium.

Beaver Stadium, home of the Nittany Lions for 64 years, is one of the largest stadiums in college football, a towering structure that rises high above the central Pennsylvania landscape that immediately surrounds it.

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The size of the venue says something about it and the program that is based there. The sheer size of Beaver Stadium is a sign that Penn State football matters and that it means something to the more than 100,000 fans who flock there from various parts of the commonwealth on fall Saturdays.

How big is the stadium? And how does it compare to some other famous college football venues, like Ohio State's Ohio Stadium?

Here's what you need to know about Beaver Stadium and why it's one of the largest stadiums in college football:

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Beaver Stadium capacity

Beaver Stadium's official capacity is listed as 106,572 spectators, although crowds in the stadium often exceed this number. For example, the Nittany Lions' 24-15 loss last season to eventual national champion Michigan had a reported attendance of 110,856.

The stadium reached its current capacity following an expansion and renovation project completed before the 2001 season.

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Largest College Football Stadiums

With its listed seating capacity, Beaver Stadium is the second largest stadium in college football and the second largest venue in the Big Ten.

Here's a look at the 10 largest college football stadiums:

This list only includes stadiums that are the primary venue for an FBS football team, so the Cotton Bowl, which would otherwise have been ranked No. 10, is not included.

  • Michigan Stadium (Michigan): 107,601
  • Beaver Stadium (Penn State): 106,572
  • Ohio Stadium (Ohio Stadium): 102,780
  • Kyle Field (Texas A&M): 102,733
  • Tiger Stadium (LSU): 102,321
  • Neyland Stadium (Tennessee): 101,915
  • Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium (Texas): 100,119
  • Bryant-Denny Stadium (Alabama): 100,077
  • Sanford Stadium (Georgia): 93,033
  • Rose Bowl (UCLA): 91,136

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