Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1525333
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 4 13 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M W hen he arrived at Penn State in July 2022, Patrick Kraft quickly came to realize that the university's athletics infrastructure needed wide-ranging improvements. "We have facility needs. We have to fix our facilities, point blank," Kraft told BWI after taking charge as athletics direc- tor. "Our facilities right now, and mainly for our Olympic sports, are woefully inadequate. We've got to build a men's and women's soccer facility. It's unacceptable, the training room situation and the weight room situation. I'm not talking about palatial estates. I'm talking about the bare minimum to give our athletes what they need." Two years later, Kraft's vision is taking shape. In July, Penn State unveiled renderings of a revamped Jeffrey Field, along with renovations to the Greenberg Indoor Sports Center and the East Area Locker Room, and an indoor practice bubble. The projects have been approved by the board of trustees and are underway, with the combined cost projected to exceed $60 million. Penn State is also putting the finishing touches on a $22 million upgrade to the second floor of the Lasch Build- ing, a project that is expected to be complete by the start of the football team's 2024 campaign. Here's a closer look at what Penn State has in store: INDOOR PRACTICE BUBBLE Cost: $9.8 million Details: A new facility, the indoor bubble will alleviate scheduling conflicts caused by limited practice space in the winter and early spring. Ten varsity teams use Holuba Hall, the university's largest indoor practice facility, from January through March. Penn State sees the air-supported bubble as a way to resolve that logjam. The bubble will free up Holuba Hall to be used by the foot- ball team. GREENBERG INDOOR SPORTS CENTER Cost: $31.9 million Details: This building will be upgraded to include a food services training table, along with wellness and athletics training centers for use by all 31 of Penn State's varsity teams. PSU describes the new space, which is adjacent to the Morgan Academic Center, as providing "a hub for the [university's] 800-plus student-athletes to attend to their academic, nutri- tion and wellness needs in one central location on campus." JEFFREY FIELD SOCCER COMPLEX Cost: $21.25 million Details: Jeffrey Field has long been one of Penn State's more spartan venues, but it is set to be extensively upgraded. There will be a new soccer operations facility, improved parking and an entry plaza, along with upgrades to the stadium itself. The soccer operations center will feature spaces for the men's and women's coaching staffs, locker rooms for both programs, and team meeting spaces. The stadium renovations will include indoor bathrooms, concession stands, entry pla- zas and standing-room-only areas. ■ Renderings Offer Glimpse At Upcoming Facilities NAT E BAU E R | N AT E . B A U E R @ O N 3 . C O M The Greenberg Indoor Sports Center will be transformed into an academic, nutrition and wellness hub for all Penn State student-athletes. The indoor practice bubble is a new facility that will help alleviate scheduling conflicts in the winter and early spring. Jeffrey Field is getting an extensive makeover, including a new soccer operations facility that will be used by the men's and women's teams. RENDERINGS COURTESY PENN STATE ATHLETICS