Changes are coming to Penn State’s concessions, Beaver Stadium this season. What we know

Penn State Athletics recently announced a multi-year partnership with Oak View Group, a professional sports and commercial real estate company that manages sports venues — and big changes are soon headed to the concessions sold in Beaver Stadium and other home fields around University Park.

According to OVG, which is serving as the athletic department’s first external food and beverage partner, fans can find the earliest changes in Beaver Stadium around Gate F, where the company is aiming to implement new concession stands and/or food items in time for the Sept. 7 home opener. Due to renovations focusing on the west side of the stadium, OVG expects to make more early changes on the stadium’s east side.

One addition is simply increasing the points of sale around the stadium by adding self-serve “grab-and-go” options that should make for a faster experience. In other words, think of something similar to the self-checkout kiosks at Sheetz or Wawa — and envision those gradually making up between 10% and 20% of about 400 points of sale around Beaver Stadium.

Tom McDonnell, OVG’s vice president of client relations (and a Penn State alum), said his company’s plan wasn’t simply to come in and replace everything. He understands some foods are more popular than others — such as the stadium’s chicken finger baskets — but said his company aimed to elevate some offerings, produce other better-quality items and introduce “some different brands” over the next few years.

When asked if those brands entailed restaurants or fast food businesses, McDonnell said he could not clarify until future agreements were finalized. (He did acknowledge “some university-themed concepts” would improve or expand the menu.) He also said OVG would not be able to divulge potential new food products until it reached a further point in the process with the athletic department, but might be able to share some publicly next month.

“I would say (fans) will see a lot of changes before Sept. 7, but we are focused on the other venues too. That’s just really the first kickoff for us,” he said about Beaver Stadium. “But we have been working on adjusting menus for Pegula as well. And there are going to be more components in the future for potential mobile concepts that could be taken around different stadiums as games are happening.”

Naturally, Beaver Stadium is an early focus given its size and its start so early in the semester. But OVG is also overseeing a number of other sports venues — such as Pegula Ice Arena, Rec Hall, Jeffrey Field, Multi-Sport Facility, Penn State Golf Courses’ Nineteenth Hole Cafe, and more. With the golf course’s cafe, for instance, McDonnell said OVG would likely develop a menu, devise prices/items and then present it to Penn State contacts for feedback.

The agreement does not include the Bryce Jordan Center or Medlar Field at Lubrano Park, based on a list of the impacted venues.

When asked what kind of effect that attendees can expect on prices for concessions, and whether they might increase this season, McDonnell didn’t anticipate making many early adjustments.

“I would say we work very closely with the university in establishing cost,” he added. “So it would be, really, having them get their input in showing them what’s happening in other areas of town, other university venues across the country, even professional sports to show comparables to them.

“I think the prices there now are pretty fair and, honestly, probably very industry-standard. So we don’t see much adjustment. Are there ever going to be adjustments? I’m sure there will be, in time. But all that will be working closely with Penn State Athletics on coming up with what’s right.”

Neither Penn State nor OVG disclosed the length or terms of their agreement.

OVG’s agreement is not expected to negatively affect the local businesses that already have stands at Beaver Stadium, such as Doan’s Bones and We Are Inn cheesesteaks. Pat Romano, owner of We Are Inn, said he has nothing but positive words for the company that’s worked with him for the past year.

“They’ve honestly been amazing to work with,” he added.

OVG intimated changes to Beaver Stadium would take place throughout the renovation process, and wholesale changes to the stadium’s west side likely wouldn’t come until said renovations were completed.

McDonnell also pointed out that OVG isn’t just limited to its hospitality division or stadium concessions. It’s also been tapped to serve as the athletic department’s primary training table, charged with feeding about 800 student-athletes every day.

OVG, which is based in Denver, boasts other partnerships, agreements and venues across the country. Among those just in Pennsylvania include Citizens Bank Park (Philadelphia), Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex (Indiana, Pa.), The Liacouras Center (Philadelphia), PPL Center (Allentown), PPG Paints Arena (Pittsburgh), Subaru Park (Philadelphia) and UPMC Events Center (Pittsburgh).