Beaver Stadium is best known as the home of Penn State football, but this year, the stadium announced it will be welcoming some new guests into its legendary atmosphere. For the first time in program history, both the men’s and women’s ice hockey teams will take the ice on one of the biggest stages in college sports. The event marks a major step forward in transforming Beaver Stadium into a multi-sport venue.  

As Beaver Stadium begins to welcome other sports, one team that deserves a chance to compete on the iconic stage is Penn State wrestling.  

Growing up, I watched Penn State wrestling with my dad, who was a wrestler himself. Even then, I never cared too much about the sport. It wasn’t until I attended my first Penn State wrestling dual meet in high school that I truly fell in love.

The meet was against Rutgers and was held in the Bryce Jordan Center. I wasn’t sure what to expect going in, but I was floored by the atmosphere. By that point, I had already been to a few Penn State White Out games, and this may be controversial, but the energy at the dual felt just as electric. Knowing a bit about wrestling from my dad certainly helped, but even without that, the energy in the arena was magnetic.

Every single wrestler was met with a surge of applause the moment they stepped onto the mat. But once the whistle blew, the entire place fell silent. Then came that single moment when the Penn State wrestler secured a takedown. The crowd exploded out of their seats, roaring with pride and adrenaline. In that moment, I realized why people fall in love with Penn State wrestling.     

If anything, that dual meet completely changed my college trajectory. I had originally intended to attend the University of Texas as a journalism major, hoping to become a beat writer for their football team. But here I am in my second year at Penn State as a beat writer for Penn State wrestling.  

Given how electric the atmosphere is at a typical Penn State wrestling match, it’s easy to imagine how seamlessly that energy would translate into Beaver Stadium. One of the things that makes Penn State wrestling so special is its incredibly dedicated and rapidly growing fan base.

These fans follow the team with the same intensity that you see for football. If any community could fill Beaver Stadium, it would be this one. Big duals like Penn State vs. Iowa make that especially clear. Last year, lines of students stretched endlessly before the Iowa meet. I had friends calling me all day asking how they could get tickets. That level of dedication is a major reason why wrestling deserves to have its moment in Beaver Stadium.  

Through my time watching and covering Penn State wrestling, I have also seen the impact the wrestlers have on the younger generations. After every dual, kids line up for pictures and autographs from their favorite wrestlers. Holding a dual meet in Beaver Stadium would send a powerful message that our wrestlers are valued just as much as our hockey and football players. It would show young athletes that wrestling isn’t just an afterthought. It deserves to be center stage, too.    

Not to mention, wrestling is arguably the strongest and most consistent athletic program at Penn State. Its reputation extends far beyond the University. Penn State wrestling is widely regarded as one of the most dominant and respected wrestling programs in the country.

This past season, head coach Cael Sanderson and his team captured their 13th NCAA national championship title, marking their fourth consecutive championship. The team also set a new NCAA record for most points scored at the championship tournament, scoring an astounding 177 points.  With such an impressive legacy, it only makes sense to give this historic program its time to shine in Beaver Stadium.