Authorities hope more stadium seats won't amount to more problems, as police and athletic officials weigh in one day after the athletic department announced a possible 800-seat increase in Beaver Stadium's student section.

"It will enhance our overall fan experience," Associate Athletic Director Greg Myford said. "Anyone who attends a Penn State football game knows that the atmosphere and the energy that comes from the student section is a big part of the Penn State game day experience."

But Myford said he will be discussing security contingency plans with Penn State Police.

There were 397 reported incidents during the 2008 season, of which 62 percent were alcohol-related, according to an ESPN Outside the Lines report released this week.

"You get them to the hospital, and they're just so lucky that even though they had a such a high blood alcohol content [that] they survived through the night," Penn State Police Sgt. Don Hazel said.

Hazel, who has worked with Penn State Police for 29 years, said the majority of stadium incidents are student-related and alcohol-fueled. Myford said Penn State is also concerned with adults drinking.

Despite the statistics, Hazel said Penn State fans maintain a positive reputation.

"I've always thought that Penn State fans -- because there's so many across the U.S. -- have a positive reputation of how they treat visitors," Hazel said. "They act in the proper manner for promoting the name Penn State."

But in 2008, police incidents at Beaver Stadium were more than double the 177 incidents reported in 2006, according to the ESPN report. The game with the highest number of incidents was the 2007 game against Ohio State.

Hazel said a game's importance significantly affects gameday crime. And Penn State Police have outside help: Hazel estimated about 200 officers from varying agencies work security on a given home game. But no matter how many officers patrol the stands, it only takes a few students to ruin the student section's reputation, Myford said.

"Unfortunately, those tend to be the type of incidents that are made public," he said.