Reser Stadium has stood at the heart of Oregon State University’s campus in Corvallis since the 1953 season, when it opened as Parker Stadium and the Beavers christened it with a 7-0 homecoming win over Washington State. The venue was renamed in 1999 to honor longtime donors Al and Pat Reser of Reser’s Fine Foods, and it has grown through several rounds of expansion into one of the tallest structures in Benton County.
Today the stadium seats about 35,500 fans for Oregon State Beavers football, a capacity reshaped by a 2021-2023 rebuild of the southwest grandstand. Despite the modern upgrades, Reser Stadium still carries touches of its mid-century roots alongside tributes to Beaver football history, including a retired No. 11 jersey honoring Heisman Trophy winner Terry Baker.
Stats at a Glance
- Team: Oregon State Beavers (NCAA Division I, Pac-12 Conference)
- Location: Corvallis, Oregon
- Opened: November 14, 1953 (as Parker Stadium)
- Renamed: 1999, as Reser Stadium
- Capacity: About 35,500
- Notable fact: At 135 feet tall, it’s the tallest structure in Corvallis and Benton County
From Parker Stadium to Reser Stadium
The stadium opened in 1953 as Parker Stadium, named for Charles T. Parker, a Portland businessman and OSU alumnus whose fundraising drive and personal gifts paid for its construction, and it spent its early decades as a modest campus venue before expansions in the 1960s and 1980s grew its seating bowl toward 40,000-plus. In 1999, Al and Pat Reser’s major gift to the athletic department earned the stadium its current name, and a wave of 21st-century construction followed, including an $80 million renovation in 2005 that added the northeast grandstand.
A Modernized Game Day Setting
The most recent renovation, a roughly $162 million project completed in 2023, rebuilt the entire west side of the stadium and brought seating capacity to about 35,500 as part of a broader push toward modern amenities over raw size. Game days still lean into Beaver traditions, from a giant chainsaw sculpture tied to Oregon’s logging heritage to reminders of the 1933 “Iron Men,” the legendary Oregon State squad that played USC to a scoreless tie using just eleven men for the entire game.
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Reser Stadium FAQs
What was Reser Stadium called before?
It opened in 1953 as Parker Stadium, named for Charles T. Parker, a Portland businessman and Oregon State alumnus who led the fundraising to build it, before being renamed Reser Stadium in 1999.
How many people does Reser Stadium hold?
Reser Stadium holds about 35,500 fans following a renovation completed in 2023 that rebuilt the west side of the stadium.
Who plays home games at Reser Stadium?
The Oregon State Beavers football team, a member of the Pac-12 Conference, plays its home games at Reser Stadium in Corvallis, Oregon.
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Photo: Thomasg86 / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.