Bryce Jordan Center | State College

Bryce Jordan Center — Detailed Overview

Location & Purpose

Sits on Curtin Road at the eastern edge of Penn State’s University Park campus, adjacent to Beaver Stadium.

Functions as the university’s primary large-scale indoor venue for athletics, entertainment, academics, and community events.

Construction & Design

Groundbreaking: April 1993.

Opened: January 11 1996 (first event: men’s basketball vs. Minnesota).

Named after Bryce Jordan, Penn State’s 14th president, who guided the university into the Big Ten Conference.

Architects: Rosser International (lead) with assistance from L. Robert Kimball & Associates.

Structural highlights:
• Steel truss roof spanning 344 ft (105 m) without interior columns, giving unobstructed sightlines.
• Bowl-in-bowl configuration: lower bowl 7,000 seats, upper bowl 8,000 seats.
• Retractable seating on both ends to convert quickly between basketball, concerts, exhibitions, and banquets.

Capacity & Configurations

Basketball: 15,261 (men’s games) / 13,848 (women’s games, curtained upper bowl).

End-stage concert: up to 15,728.

Center-stage concert: about 16,000.

Commencements, circuses, ice shows, combat sports, and trade shows use variable floor plans from 3,000 to 9,000 seats.

Floor area: 150 ft × 250 ft (38,000 sq ft) reinforced to support heavy staging and truck access.

Facilities Inside

20 luxury courtside suites (added 2011) and 4 loge boxes.

900-seat Club Level with private lounge.

Two practice courts, weight room, athletic training room, film room, and players’ lounges for basketball programs.

12 concession stands and 4 permanent bars, plus portable kiosks.

8 locker rooms (2 NBA-size, 6 auxiliary).

3,200-sq-ft press/media room and production offices with fiber uplinks.

In-house Daktronics 7 mm LED center-hung video board (installed 2021) and 360° fascia ribbons.

Notable Recurring Events

THON: World’s largest student-run philanthropy; 46-hour dance marathon every February, raising over $15 million annually for pediatric cancer.

Welcome Week Convocation for incoming freshmen each August.

State College High School commencement, regional robotics competitions, career fairs, and large academic conferences.

Major Concerts & Entertainment

Opening year headline: Rod Stewart (February 1996).

Historic sell-outs: Bruce Springsteen, Garth Brooks (3-night run), U2, Beyoncé, Metallica, Elton John, Taylor Swift, and Justin Timberlake.

Television tapings: WWE Raw (multiple), Disney on Ice, American Idol Live Tour.

Upgrades & Sustainability

2010s: LED lighting retrofit cut energy use 50 %.

2018: High-efficiency HVAC chillers and heat-recovery system.

2023: Added 400 kW rooftop solar array tied into campus micro-grid.

Zero-waste initiative at THON diverts 90 % of refuse from landfill.

Access & Parking

Direct pedestrian bridge to Stadium West and Jordan East lots (8,600 combined spaces).

CATA Blue and White Loop buses stop at the west entrance every five minutes on class days.

Interstate 99 / US-322 interchange 3 mi east; University Park Airport 6 mi northeast.

Economic & Community Impact

Generates roughly $60–70 million in annual regional economic activity through more than 150 ticketed events.

Provides 400 part-time jobs for students each semester in guest services, technical crew, and concessions.

Future Plans

Feasibility study underway for a 6,000-sq-ft esports hub, expanded club seating, and an exterior plaza with year-round dining kiosks, targeting completion before the 2030 basketball season.