Penn State for the "first time" on Saturday will host a concert at Beaver Stadium, according to Sarah Rafacz of the CENTRE DAILY TIMES. Happy Valley Jam, featuring headliner and country singer Blake Shelton, is the "culmination of eight months of planning and is presented by Penn State Intercollegiate Athletics and Basis Entertainment." Basis Entertainment President & CEO Gary DeWaard said that setup work "began Tuesday night." Workers had to be "careful on the grass field, which will be completely covered with flooring for the concert." DeWaard said that "tens of thousands are expected to attend on Saturday -- about 7,000 of whom will be able to sit on the field." PSU Deputy AD Phil Esten said that the resources "generated by the concert will be reinvested into creating successful conditions for the university’s student-athletes." Beer will be "available for purchase in the concession stands, and wine will be available in the premium areas" (CENTRE DAILY TIMES, 7/7). STATECOLLEGE.com's Geoff Rushton notes Beaver Stadium's entry points will be the "biggest challenge, though with the stage in place and crews working on production aspects Thursday, those challenges were obviously met." It is "not the first college stadium go-round for Basis and DeWaard." They "put on the first ever concert in Iowa's Kinnick Stadium last year, an eight-hour benefit headlined by Shelton, and followed that up with another Shelton-starring lineup at Florida State's Doak Campbell Stadium." Esten earlier this week said that PSU was "hoping to see around 30,000 attendees or more" (STATECOLLEGE.com, 7/7).
