Blue White Illustrated

The Penn State board of trustees passed a motion on Feb. 19 to fund a renovation to the Lasch Building. The planned renovation will cost $48.3 mil- lion, which is to be paid through private gifts and borrowing. The university has raised $8 million for the project so far. Among the planned upgrades are the following: • A first-floor weight room expansion • Strength training and conditioning upgrades • A new lobby entrance • Mechanical and electrical systems upgrades • A development suite that will house a "Fifth Quarter" program designed to help student-athletes acclimate them- selves to college life and professional life thereafter • Sports medicine upgrades • A new hydrotherapy pool • Trainer and assistant trainer offices • Graduate assistant and student trainer workstations "We have continued to invest in our athletics facilities the last several years, and the Lasch Building has been a big part of that," athletic director Sandy Barbour said in a prepared statement. "We always strive to provide our stu- dent-athletes quality facilities which will prepare them for a lifetime of im- pact, while competing for national championships in all 31 sports. Our alumni and donors have supported our Football Excellence Fund since its incep- tion in recognition of the investment re- quired to support a consistently excellent football program. We will con- tinue to fundraise for this renovation, as well as future projects in our football fa- cilities, and will need the support of our entire Penn State community." Head coach James Franklin echoed Barbour's sentiments in the same state- ment, calling the renovations necessary to compete at the sport's highest level. The motion, which aligns with Penn State's facilities master plan, was passed by a final vote of 27-6, but not without prior deliberation. Among those dissenting was alumni trustee Jay Pa- terno, Penn State's former offensive coordinator and son of Joe Paterno. Like the other "no" voters who spoke, Paterno expressed concerns about launching the project in a climate of financial uncertainty brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. "My former boss used to say, football is here to serve the university, not the other way around," Paterno said. "Over the past year, our administra- tion and our board have asked our uni- versity to make difficult sacrifices. Employees have been furloughed. Aca- demic budgets have been cut. Salaries have been frozen or slashed. Mainte- nance on buildings has been postponed. Proposed academic building projects have been put on hold. "We have students who are sleeping in the HUB at night. We have students who are hungry. We have battled to make Penn State more affordable. We have a moral obligation to do that. How do we look the people we are asking to make sacrifices in the eye, and then borrow and spend this money?" One of Paterno's fellow alumni trustees, former Penn State and NFL linebacker Brandon Short, offered a counterargument in favor of spending more on football, contending that in- vestment in athletics is likely to result in financial reward for the university. "There's no other place where we can get a higher return on our investment than an investment in our football pro- gram," Short said. "Penn State has a strong balance sheet that has the financial flexibility to with- stand unforeseen events. Our competi- tors are making massive investments in their football programs. If we do not match or exceed these investments, we will be left behind." ■ F O O T B A L L Trustees approve funding for Lasch Building renovation NO PLACE LIKE HOME The latest plan to upgrade PSU's football headquarters in- cludes a dramati- cally different facade. Image courtesy of Penn State Athletics |

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