Blue White Illustrated

A new Penn State football book by Lou Prato with a forward by Adam Taliaferro The Remarkable Journey of the 2012 Nittany Lions Price: $14.95 plus shipping Published by Triumph Books (soft cover) Autographed copies available via louprato@comcast.net or through Lou Prato & Associates at 814-954-5171 Autographed copies of Lou's book We Are Penn State: The Remarkable Journey of the 2012 Nittany Lions are still available via louprato@comcast.net or through Lou Prato & Associates at 814-272-1853. Price: $19.95 plus tax where applicable and shipping the university created a separate division in Housing Food and Services. That way, it was not the athletic department over- seeing the Las Vegas-style concerts, tractor pulls, professional wrestling matches and circus acts bringing in the income. In fact, the university adminis- tration decreed, the athletic department would have to pay rent for all the space it needed for offices, locker rooms, storage areas and even for use of the main gym- nasium in the arena and the auxiliary gym with three basketball courts. The 15,261 chair-back seats in the arena were a major step up from the 6,844 bleacher seats in old Rec Hall. Planners knew the seats would not be as close to the floor as in Rec Hall, but that was be- cause the design had to be flexible enough to accomodate other events, maybe even an NCAA wrestling tourna- ment. The new arena wouldn't be as cozy as its predecessor, but the atmosphere would be just as good, if not better when filled. And just look at all that office space. That was one of the big advantages of the new facility: It would allow a con- solidation of coaching staffs and the ad- dition of new employees when necessary. But long before the BJC officially opened on Jan. 6, 1996, with fall com- mencement ceremonies, a startling val- ue engineering decision downsized the ground- and first-floor rings, eliminat- ing half the space the athletic depart- ment had planned on using for offices, storage and other purposes. Over the years and for various reasons, that value engineering determination has caused multiple moves of coaches and person- nel, with many leaving the building for other facilities, and it is still having re- verberations. Just last year, renovations were re- quired in a realignment of the athletic department's organizational structure. The renovations involved the movement of offices for senior associate athletic directors, strategic communications (formerly known as sports information), creative services, compliance, student affairs and the Nittany Lion Club/devel- opment. In addition, a meeting room at the Founder's Entrance and the new compliance office was transformed into a stylish lounge for the men's and women's basketball teams that call the BJC their home. Although the remodeling of offices is rarely seen by the public, the basketball fan base is well aware of the "unpleasant consequences" caused by the construc- tion of a multipurpose facility instead of a basketball arena. For one thing, the sightlines for most spectators not seated near the court are not the best for basket- ball games. Spectators in the upper deck are a long way from the court, and when the crowds are thin and the upper deck is closed off, the atmosphere is often more conducive for a prayer meeting than a fast-paced game of bumps and dunks. When former coach Ed DeChellis left his alma mater in May 2011 for another head coaching job at the Naval Academy – a move that he made voluntarily even though it meant taking a substantial salary cut – he complained loudly about the concerts and other BJC events that often deny the basketball teams the use of their home court and practice gym. That certainly is another of those "un- pleasant consequences." One also must go back 20 years and re- member how the athletic administration treated the longtime fans who followed the men's team through its many ups and downs in the relatively uncomfortable bleacher seats of rarely sold-out Rec Hall. With the move to the BJC, seating priorities were revised based on dona- tions, and that change alienated thou- sands of fans who still rail about it today. As I reflect back on all those plans that went awry with the unpleasant conse- quences that resulted and I think about some of the potential changes being contemplated, I wonder not only about the possible demise of Beaver Stadium but also the transformation of other less-momentous traditions. Do we really need to replace the running track near the top of old Rec Hall, where thousands have stood to watch sold-out events and others have exercised for decades, with plush club seats or suites serving wine and beer for well-heeled donors? "Be careful what you wish for." ■

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