Penn State Says Better Cellular Service Is Coming to Beaver Stadium in 2027

Penn State football fans frustrated that they can't send texts or check college scores at Beaver Stadium on gamedays are being promised a signal boost in 2027. Penn State's Board of Trustees Finance and Investment Committee this week approved a 10-year deal with AT&T to update and increase cellular service at Beaver Stadium.

Penn State said that the upgrades will be in place for the 2027 Nittany Lions season, which coincides with the completion of Beaver Stadium's $700 million renovation. Penn State also said that AT&T is making "interim updates and improvements" to cellular service at Beaver Stadium this season.

Penn State football fans for years have had issues with slow and erratic cellular service in an around Beaver Stadium, as more than 200,000 fans and tailgaters strain the system on fall gamedays. Poor cell connectivity has been among the most consistent complaints among fans watching games inside Beaver Stadium.

According to a Penn State news release, AT&T agreed to install a "new distributed antenna system (DAS) that will help fans, students, staff, teams, media and visitors remain connected during football games and other major events at Beaver Stadium." The new system will provide service to all users, not just those with AT&T contracts or products.

Penn State said that the new system will feature three times more antennae than currently in use at Beaver Stadium, providing five times more coverage and 18 times more bandwidth capacity than what is currently available.

AT&T also will add "C-band spectrum" to help enhance wireless coverage and improve network strength around the stadium. According to Penn State, the AT&T project will replace technology that was installed in 2013.

A view of the Nittany Lion weathervane and scoreboard from the new bleachers on the west side of Penn State's Beaver Stadium. | Mark Wogenrich | Penn State on SI

Penn State announced the cellular upgrades about a year before re-introducing Beaver Stadium following its $700 million makeover. This season, Penn State introduced a new West bleacher deck, which was completed ahead of schedule and entertained fans for the season-opener against Marshall.

Penn State also unveiled a new video screen for the South end-zone scoreboard and a new stadium-wide sound system. Penn State Athletic Director Pat Kraft has said the stadium's capacity this season will be around 109,000, temporarily making it the nation's largest venue.

When completed in 2027, Beaver Stadium will house a new West Tower that will include 30 loge boxes, 18 executive suites and 70,000 square of premium club space. The tower also will feature a new university welcome center that Penn State wants to be the "front door" of the university.

After the 2026 season, Penn State will demolish and replace the lower-bowl seating on the stadium's West side in the project's third and final phase. The renovated Beaver Stadium is scheduled to be completed ahead of the 2027 season and make the venue a year-round event destination.

"By making these renovations, Beaver Stadium would be one of the only multi-use entertainment facilities at this scale between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh," Kraft said. "The enhancements to Beaver Stadium will create significant new revenue and increase philanthropy opportunities that will allow us to reinvest funds into all of our student-athletes and allow athletics to continue to be self-supporting."

An exterior view of the construction of the new West Tower at Penn State's Beaver Stadium. | Mark Wogenrich | Penn State on SI

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