Penn State is reaching out to high school football teams, saying the school is open to hosting at least a few games at the iconic 107,000-seat Beaver Stadium.
The university announced that it’s open to the idea last week, according to The Daily Item.
James Franklin, the Nittany Lions head football coach, said he sees it as a way to be “great partners.”
“Our No. 1 focus is on Penn State and our football program and our athletic department and our university,” Franklin said. “So we are not going to do anything that would cause challenges or issues there. But when we can be great partners in our community, and when we can be great partners in our state, and provide a great experience in this community and for the State of Pennsylvania ... we want to try to do it.”
Meadville High School football coach Ray Collins said he would welcome the possibility of playing at Beaver Stadium.
“If you’re a high school football player and you have an opportunity to play a game at a venue like Beaver Stadium, I think for most high school football players, that is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” Collins said. “From that perspective, you can certainly imagine the excitement and energy created by the opportunity to do that and to play on that surface, to play in that stadium and to come out of that tunnel where so many guys have come out on a Saturday. I think presenting that to a high school football player is outstanding.”
Penn State is also open to hosting a PIAA championships game in the future. The stadium hosted the 1988 PIAA Class 4A championship, which was the last time the venue was used for high school football.
