STATE COLLEGE, PA. (July 23, 2024) – Penn State University Athletics today announced a landmark partnership with Oak View Group (OVG) and its OVG Hospitality division to become its first food and beverage partner to expand and enhance the offerings across multiple Intercollegiate Athletics facilities.
Through a multi-year partnership, OVG Hospitality will bring a reimagined customer service approach to several Penn State Athletics venues, including Beaver Stadium, the second-largest stadium in the country, and Pegula Ice Arena. With a focus on providing the ultimate fan experience, OVG Hospitality is prioritizing several investments in the food and beverage program. Plans include enhancing the premium experience in suites and clubs, expanding concession locations, increasing food & beverage personnel, and introducing technology to streamline ordering and payment processes to reduce lines and wait times. Additionally, OVG Hospitality will introduce new menu selections and market concepts throughout the year.
In preparation for the 2024 season at Beaver Stadium, new food and beverage markets will be unveiled along with the expanded menu selections and improved premium guest services.
“The future of our food and beverage is exciting as we enter into this transformational partnership with OVG,” said Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Patrick Kraft. “OVG is one of the great hospitality providers in the country and will bring a level of excellence to our expanded and enhanced food and beverage options at our facilities. We are also thrilled to have OVG leading the charge of our Performance Dining Center for our student-athletes when it opens in the Greenberg Indoor Sports Complex in the coming years.”
OVG Hospitality will integrate its industry-leading services across multiple athletics venues, enhancing all Penn State game-day experiences. This initiative will provide fans with high-quality dining options and utilize local, regional, and national partners on menu items that reflect the local culture.
Venues to include:
· Beaver Stadium
· Pegula Ice Arena
· Recreation Building (Rec Hall)
· Multi-Sport Facility & Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track
· Jeffrey Field
· Nittany Lion Softball Park
· Panzer Stadium
· Field Hockey Complex
· Blue and White Golf Courses Nineteenth Hole Café
· Performance Dining at Greenberg Indoor Sports Complex
“We are excited to partner with one of the most respected and ambitious college athletics programs in the nation,” said Chris Granger, President, OVG360. “We look forward to collaborating with our partners at Penn State to set a new standard that will redefine the game day experience for Nittany Lion fans. Our shared commitment to culinary excellence and community impact will be showcased through elevated food and beverage offerings, an authentic focus on sustainability, and meaningful local partnerships. We are honored to be a part of the Penn State family and eager to begin this work together."
As part of the partnership, Penn State will become GOAL’s first university member. GOAL, Green Operations & Advanced Leadership, is a membership network focused on elevating sustainability for arenas, stadiums, convention centers, cultural institutions, and other large-scale venues, of which Oak View Group is one of the founding partners. GOAL will collaborate with Penn State’s sustainability team to quantify the university’s carbon footprint, identify opportunities for waste reduction and energy efficiency, and help align the Athletic facilities’ operational efforts with the university’s robust sustainability goals. GOAL will also support OVG Hospitality’s sustainability efforts, including a focus on food waste reduction and the avoidance of single-use plastic.
“We see tremendous opportunity to enhance all facets of food and beverage operations throughout Nittany Lion athletic venues,” added Ken Gaber, President of OVG Hospitality. “Drawing from our extensive experience managing operations at numerous major collegiate venues nationwide, we are poised to tailor our expertise specifically to the Penn State fanbase.”
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About Penn State Athletics
Under the leadership of Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Patrick Kraft, Penn State has one of the nation's most comprehensive and successful athletic programs, featuring 800 student-athletes across 31 varsity programs (16 men's, 15 women's). The Nittany Lions' 31 programs are tied for the fourth-highest number of sports sponsored by a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) institution.
Penn State student-athletes earned a record 93% NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and 12 programs earned perfect 100% ratings in the 2023 report. This is the seventh consecutive year the Nittany Lions have posted a record or record-tying performance in the classroom. Penn State is one of only six schools that have won at least 10 NCAA Championships since 2013 and earned at least a 90 percent Graduation Success Rate (GSR) in the 2023 NCAA report (California, Florida, Stanford, USC, Virginia).
About Oak View Group
Oak View Group (OVG) is the global leader in live experience venue development, management, premium hospitality services, and 360-degree solutions for a collection of world-class owned venues and a client roster of arenas, stadiums, convention centers, music festivals, performing arts centers, and cultural institutions. Founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015, OVG is the leading developer of major new venues either open or under development across four continents. Visit OakViewGroup.com, and follow OVG on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.
Through a multi-year partnership, OVG Hospitality will bring a reimagined customer service approach to several Penn State Athletics venues, including Beaver Stadium, the second-largest stadium in the country, and Pegula Ice Arena. With a focus on providing the ultimate fan experience, OVG Hospitality is prioritizing several investments in the food and beverage program. Plans include enhancing the premium experience in suites and clubs, expanding concession locations, increasing food & beverage personnel, and introducing technology to streamline ordering and payment processes to reduce lines and wait times. Additionally, OVG Hospitality will introduce new menu selections and market concepts throughout the year.
In preparation for the 2024 season at Beaver Stadium, new food and beverage markets will be unveiled along with the expanded menu selections and improved premium guest services.
“The future of our food and beverage is exciting as we enter into this transformational partnership with OVG,” said Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Dr. Patrick Kraft. “OVG is one of the great hospitality providers in the country and will bring a level of excellence to our expanded and enhanced food and beverage options at our facilities. We are also thrilled to have OVG leading the charge of our Performance Dining Center for our student-athletes when it opens in the Greenberg Indoor Sports Complex in the coming years.”
OVG Hospitality will integrate its industry-leading services across multiple athletics venues, enhancing all Penn State game-day experiences. This initiative will provide fans with high-quality dining options and utilize local, regional, and national partners on menu items that reflect the local culture.
Venues to include:
· Beaver Stadium
· Pegula Ice Arena
· Recreation Building (Rec Hall)
· Multi-Sport Facility & Horace Ashenfelter III Indoor Track
· Jeffrey Field
· Nittany Lion Softball Park
· Panzer Stadium
· Field Hockey Complex
· Blue and White Golf Courses Nineteenth Hole Café
· Performance Dining at Greenberg Indoor Sports Complex
“We are excited to partner with one of the most respected and ambitious college athletics programs in the nation,” said Chris Granger, President, OVG360. “We look forward to collaborating with our partners at Penn State to set a new standard that will redefine the game day experience for Nittany Lion fans. Our shared commitment to culinary excellence and community impact will be showcased through elevated food and beverage offerings, an authentic focus on sustainability, and meaningful local partnerships. We are honored to be a part of the Penn State family and eager to begin this work together."
As part of the partnership, Penn State will become GOAL’s first university member. GOAL, Green Operations & Advanced Leadership, is a membership network focused on elevating sustainability for arenas, stadiums, convention centers, cultural institutions, and other large-scale venues, of which Oak View Group is one of the founding partners. GOAL will collaborate with Penn State’s sustainability team to quantify the university’s carbon footprint, identify opportunities for waste reduction and energy efficiency, and help align the Athletic facilities’ operational efforts with the university’s robust sustainability goals. GOAL will also support OVG Hospitality’s sustainability efforts, including a focus on food waste reduction and the avoidance of single-use plastic.
“We see tremendous opportunity to enhance all facets of food and beverage operations throughout Nittany Lion athletic venues,” added Ken Gaber, President of OVG Hospitality. “Drawing from our extensive experience managing operations at numerous major collegiate venues nationwide, we are poised to tailor our expertise specifically to the Penn State fanbase.”
# # #
About Penn State Athletics
Under the leadership of Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Patrick Kraft, Penn State has one of the nation's most comprehensive and successful athletic programs, featuring 800 student-athletes across 31 varsity programs (16 men's, 15 women's). The Nittany Lions' 31 programs are tied for the fourth-highest number of sports sponsored by a Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) institution.
Penn State student-athletes earned a record 93% NCAA Graduation Success Rate (GSR) and 12 programs earned perfect 100% ratings in the 2023 report. This is the seventh consecutive year the Nittany Lions have posted a record or record-tying performance in the classroom. Penn State is one of only six schools that have won at least 10 NCAA Championships since 2013 and earned at least a 90 percent Graduation Success Rate (GSR) in the 2023 NCAA report (California, Florida, Stanford, USC, Virginia).
About Oak View Group
Oak View Group (OVG) is the global leader in live experience venue development, management, premium hospitality services, and 360-degree solutions for a collection of world-class owned venues and a client roster of arenas, stadiums, convention centers, music festivals, performing arts centers, and cultural institutions. Founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015, OVG is the leading developer of major new venues either open or under development across four continents. Visit OakViewGroup.com, and follow OVG on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X.