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FOOTBALL FOOTBALL Penn State amends O'Brien's contract After his smashing debut, Bill O'Brien is getting a raise. Posted in full at the progress.psu.edu website, O'Brien's amended employee contract calls for an increase in base salary from $950,000 to $982,779. With bonuses from the 2012 season, O'Brien's base salary is $1,450,000. For the 2014 contract year, commencing July 1 of that year, O'Brien's base salary will fall to $1,137,096, followed by a base salary of $1,650,994 in '15 and an increase of 5 percent each year thereafter. In the 2013 contract year, the university will pay an additional lump sum of $935,279, an amount equivalent to the base salary minus taxes and retirement. O'Brien is also to receive $1 million for participating in public appearances and "university-sponsored radio and television programs relating to the football program." Throw in an additional $350,000 each year from the university's contract with Nike, and O'Brien's combined salary for 2013 works out to roughly $3.8 million before taxes and other withholdings. The amended pact also contains new buyout provisions. Should O'Brien choose to leave for the NFL before his contract with Penn State expires, he will have to pay the school his base salary for the current year, multiplied by the amount of years that remain on the contract. If, for instance, O'Brien were to take an NFL job in 2013, the buyout would be $7.73 million. In '14, it would drop to $3.41 million, to $3.30 million in '15 and $1.73 million in '16. Lift for Life sets fundraising record The 11th edition of Lift for Life was another big success for Penn State's chapter of Uplifting Athletes. Held July 12 at Penn State Lacrosse Field, the event raised $133,500 for the Kidney Cancer Association, eclipsing last year's total of $117,000. It was the fifth consecutive year in which Lift for Life broke its previous fundraising record. Senior offensive tackle Eric Shrive has raised more than $100,000 by himself since enrolling at Penn State. "Anyone who wants to challenge the culture at Penn State could look at the past 10 years of Lift for Life and how it's grown every year," he said. "We're into the hundreds of thousands of dollars now, and after this year it's going to be close to $850,000 in 11 years. ... I'm just happy to be a part of this tradition." JESSE JAMES Tim Owen IN BRIEF • Graham Spanier, Tim Curley and Gary Schultz will appear in Harrisburg at the Dauphin County Courthouse beginning July 29 for their preliminary hearing on charges of obstruction of justice. During the hearing, prosecutors from the Attorney General's Office will present evidence in order to move the case to a possible trial. The three former Penn State officials maintain their innocence. • On July 11, former Penn State president Graham Spanier filed a writ in Centre County Court that would allow him to file a slander/libel/defamation lawsuit against former FBI director Louis Freeh, whose report into the university's handling of the Sandusky scandal led to the NCAA sanctions. • Penn State is no longer pursuing linebacker prospect Zayd Issah. The three-star player from Harrisburg, Pa., was arrested on July 13 in State College on charges of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and possession of marijuana. Initially a member of the Nittany Lions' 2013 recruiting class, Issah is currently on probation after being charged in March with forgery, theft by deception and conspiracy. • Beaver Stadium is getting a highdefinition, big-screen scoreboard. Ford Stryker, vice president for the Office of Physical Plant, said July 11 at a committee meeting of the board of trustees that the current scoreboard will be replaced with a more modern version as part of a $10 million project. The current scoreboard was installed in 2000.

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