Penn State football has perhaps the biggest fan following in the United States, so it seems somehow appropriate that the nation's largest crane will assist in the expansion of Beaver Stadium.

According to the Penn State Newswire, pieces of one of the country's two largest cranes will tentatively begin arriving in State College on Aug. 2.

The crane will be used to lift the new scoreboard for the north side of the stadium into place.

The crane weighs approximately 1,000 tons and boasts a 340-foot vertical lifting extension, the Newswire report said.

Jeff Mallory, Penn State director of design and construction, said that it is currently being used in New Jersey for another job.

Work should be completed on July 31 and the crane disassembled Aug. 1, he said. After that, it will make its way to Happy Valley in 40 tractor-trailers, the Penn State Newswire said.

Although the first parts will arrive on Aug. 2, the crane will not be fully assembled until Aug. 5.

That makes Aug. 6 the projected date for the actual lift.

Mallory said that a delay on the crane's previous job, or bad weather on Aug. 6, could postpone the lift by a day or more. He added that wind conditions are very important and high winds could delay work.

Mallory also said that Penn State expects large crowds for the arrival of the crane and for the lifting of the scoreboard as well.

Local police have been contacted to help with crowd control, he said.

Spectators will be prohibited from entering certain marked areas, but the university expects that there will be plenty of places for people to watch.

"It's going to be a very exciting lift," Mallory said.

He added that he has received inquiries from numerous news outlets — from Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia — interested in covering the event.

Asked about the large amount of public attention, he said, "I think it's a combination of Penn State football, Penn State, the size of the crane and the size of the lift."

The crane will actually be lifting the scoreboard frame, which is being assembled on the ground out side the stadium, according to the Penn State Newswire.

Once the frame is in place, workers will begin installing the electronic and video components of the scoreboard, which will feature a large replay screen.

Although the stadium expansion project is not slated for completion until the 2001 season, Mallory said Penn State is very optimistic that the scoreboard will be available for the coming season.