Penn State Offers New Peek at Beaver Stadium Construction Progress

Penn State's school year may be over, but the sports news doesn't stop. In today's Penn State update, we're looking at a new Beaver Stadium tour, a potential football recuiting commitment and the men's lacrosse team's next major challenge.

Here's the latest from Penn State.

A Beaver Stadium video update

Penn State invited members of the Nittany Lion Club recently to get a first-hand look at the latest Beaver Stadium construction progress. Penn State is in Phase II of the $700 million stadium renovation that is scheduled to be completed before the 2027 Nittany Lions season.

In the tour, fans walked the still-scaffolded bones of the new West Tower, which will include about 7,000 new chairback seats in the lower bowl and about 4,500 club seats between the new Marzano and Schuyler Family clubs. The West Tower also will feature 15 executive suites and 30 loge boxes. Those premium spaces will appeal to the NHL, which has shown renewed interest in bringing an outdoor game to Beaver Stadium.

Penn State has been stingy with construction updates, so the short video is a welcome look at what's next. Much of the upper-deck seating looks like it will be ready for the 2026 season, which begins Sept. 5 vs. Marshall. Penn State has said that it expects to use temporary seating again for the upcoming season.

A potential football commitment Tuesday

While he waits for a quarterback to commit to the 2027 recruiting class, Penn State football coach Matt Campbell could get another offensive commitment Tuesday. Aiden Gibson, a 4-star running back from South Carolina, will announce his decision live on the CBS College Sports YouTube channel at 7 p.m. ET.

Gibson is 247Sports' 12th-ranked running back nationally and the sixth-ranked player in the state. He will announce his decision from a final list of schools that includes Penn State, Rutgers, South Carolina, North Carolina and Louisville.

Penn State does not have a running back in the 15-player class, having lost one-time commit Kemon Spell to Georgia. Gibson would be a standout addition to a class that ranks seventh nationally and already includes some top offensive talent.

Penn State men's lacrosse readies for a challenge

After defeating Army West Point in the first round of the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Tournament, Penn State finds its degree of difficulty escalating. The Nittany Lions will face top-seeded Princeton in the May 17 quarterfinals at Delaware Stadium in Newark. Faceoff is scheduled for noon ET on ESPNU.

Penn State advanced to the quarerfinals for the second straight season with a 10-6 victory over the Black Knights last Saturday. Hunter Aquino led the Nittany Lions (10-5) with a hat trick, and freshman goaltender Preston Hawkins allowed just six goals on 18 shots.

Princeton (14-2) is the tournament's top seed and the nation's No. 1 team. The Tigers defeated Marist 17-8 in the first round. With an upset, Penn State would reach the Final Four for the third time in four years.

It's time for the power rankings

Penn State football ihas entered a quiet period, as the player have a few weeks of post-semester break before returning for summer workouts. That offers an opportunity for some reflection on spring practice and a preview of training camp.

And what better place to start than with power rankings. We've ranked the Nittany Lions by position group, starting with the offense and continuing on defense. There might be some surprises on the lists.

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