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With Steve

Doin’ This — Concert Offers Proof Of Concept For Beaver Stadium

Luke Combs set a new precedent for concerts at Beaver Stadium. (Photo via GoPSUSports.com)

Never mind about NIL and forget about a bigger Big Ten this fall. Even the upcoming arrival of an athletic dorm and the inevitable grumbling about the football coach’s buyout clause after the first loss of the season pale by comparison.

The biggest moment for Penn State athletics going forward happened on the last Saturday of April 2024. And, no, it’s not the total number of football players selected in the NFL Draft. 

When country music superstar Luke Combs attracted some 80,000 fans to Beaver Stadium for the second concert in the stadium’s history last week, it was a program-boosting moment — a money-making moment and the kind of thing that can help support Penn State’s success as the landscape of college athletics moves more fully into a pay-for-play model going forward.

The concert was a proof of concept in terms of the athletic department utilizing the world’s fourth-largest stadium for more than just seven Saturdays every fall. For an athletic department seeking revenue, and programs that run on money, with more demand to come, that’s important.

Success and Struggles

With a big Saturday crowd, campus and the tailgating lots had a fall football feel, and cool, sometimes rainy weather helped drive that feeling home. As usual on those types of days, there was (mostly) good and (some) bad — or at least room for improvement for the next time.

For example, it was a generally rules following crowd. Tailgate lots were not trashed and those waiting in line to enter stayed in long lines as opposed to bunching up at gates. To me, that was a little surprising and seemed to signal that the crossover of concert goers and regular football fans was well shy of 100 percent. 

At the same time, the long lines were a problem. They were too long, an issue that people who attend concerts at other stadiums probably noticed. So, again, some of the logistics left room for improvement.

That lack of crossover between concertgoers and football fans was driven home when a woman headed up to the concourse level asked the small group she was with, “Will there be a bathroom up there?” It’s hard to imagine she thought the stadium had no facilities.

OK, maybe she was drunk, but she seemed mostly uninformed.

Among other lines, the beer lines were long — a good thing for the bottom line — although that limited movement on the concourse. More and better directional signage would’ve helped in general, too.

There were EMT calls, a scuffle or two in the crowd and a brief bathroom issue on the west side of the stadium when the facilities were not available (maybe that woman knew what she was asking).

Still, Combs was the right person for the first full-scale concert. He and his team know how to conduct a stadium concert and that experience put Penn State in a position to succeed. Combs, wearing a blue Penn State cap and a camouflage hoodie, connected the crowd from the first note of the first song and the night was often a full-stadium singalong.

Combs, who was more invested than anyone else in knowing, noted the 80,000-attendance number during a break after the third song of the night. He proudly pointed out that Beaver Stadium had attracted more people than last weekend’s Stagecoach Festival in California.

Fans who followed Penn State’s support on the event on social media also noticed that athletic director Pat Kraft had gone all in with the country music look.

What or Who’s Next?

So, who’s next? And when?

While it seems certain another concert will happen, there are a limited number of artists who can sell out Beaver Stadium, or who can attract an impressive and, more important than that, worthwhile crowd — whatever the number might be that makes sense for the bottom line.

If it’s not 80,000, does 50,000 move the needle? And, after 80,000 this time would anything less seem, well, less the next time.

In alphabetical order, the Family and Friends Focus Group came up with Beyonce, Garth Brooks, Kenny Chesney, Eric Church, P!nk, Bruce Springsteen, Taylor Swift and Morgan Wallen. 

Top Earning Concert Tours of 2023
DateCityVenue
Taylor Swift$305 million56 shows
Beyoncé$145 million46 shows
Ed Sheeran$110 million41 shows
P!nk$85 million37 shows
Coldplay$85 million43 shows
Harry Styles$70 million49 shows
Morgan Wallen$70 million30 shows
Elton John$70 million63 shows
Luke Combs$55 million30 shows
The Weeknd$55 million30 shows

*Gross Earnings, according to Forbes

Yep, country heavy, and a couple of those noted above might come with rowdier crowds, which has to be a consideration in terms of the town and gown relationship. At the same time, the lure of the world’s fourth-largest stadium would be an ego draw for any performer — even Brooks, who’s seemingly done it all. Twice. 

He’s never played Beaver Stadium, though.

So Penn State has a reason to do it again, and those in the industry will see Combs’ success here and be curious.

Also, whoever championed the clause for Combs not to visit Philadelphia and Pittsburgh as part of this tour was a good negotiator, and something like that would probably be necessary for the next big-name performer to visit Happy Valley as a way to ensure the proper supply and demand dynamic.

Plus, a performer experienced with stadiums, and Penn State in the aftermath of Combs, would know how to set up the concert compound and certainly do little things like the Combs team did. They started staging tractor trailers to break things down while he was on stage so they could efficiently go to work afterward without having to worry about crowd interactions. 

When will the next concert happen? It has to be in the spring, and it probably has to be when classes are still in session. 

Last Saturday was the day after the final day of classes in the spring semester, and that’s a good date. Even if whomever visits is not the most student-specific performer, having 40,000 potential ticket buyers within walking distance of the stadium probably helps. So, the summer months might be out.

Of course, a late spring Saturday might impact the Blue-White Game as it did this season, forcing it a little earlier to facilitate setup for a big concert event, but all revenue opportunities probably come with plusses and minuses. 

In addition, earlier provides more time for the stadium turf to recover. It’s getting replaced this summer, but it’s not clear that’s something that should or would be done on an annual basis because of a concert. 

Do not expect the next Beaver Stadium concert announcement this week, but one will be coming — and when it does it’ll be interesting to see all the details.

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Steve Sampsell
Steve Sampsell is a graduate of Penn State and co-host of Stuff Somers Says with Steve. You can email Steve at steve@stuffsomerssays.com. Follow Steve on Twitter @SteveSampsell.

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