Blue White Illustrated

Basketball facilities expected to be part of PSU's makeover A mid the many headline-generating projects in Penn State's recently an- nounced master plan were a series of ad- ditional renovations and improvements. University o4cials hope to reorient the outdoor track, upgrade the lacrosse 1eld and build a two-level parking structure next to Je3rey Field along with a stand- alone All-Sports Museum next to Pegula Ice Arena. But, situated right in the middle of the map, a familiar venue remained: the Bryce Jordan Center, Penn State's 15,000-seat arena, which for the past two decades has played host to basketball games, occa- sional wrestling matches, concerts, grad- uation ceremonies and THON. The BJC will continue to serve as Penn State's primary indoor athletic venue even if the school is able to fund all the items on its wish list. But, as deputy ath- letic director Phil Esten explained, the fa- cility is being eyed for some upgrades and may eventually be accompanied by a bas- ketball-speci1c building nearby. Penn State is looking to remove the South Gym practice facility that has long been the home of the men's and women's basketball programs. In its place, univer- sity o4cials hope to build a new stand- alone practice facility adjacent to the Jordan Center. The new building would serve as the home for the basketball pro- grams in addition to providing them with a dedicated practice space. Penn State o4cials were not able to speak in detail about the proposed facility during the introduction of the master plan in March, but Esten acknowledged the need for improvements within the BJC. "It's a wonderful multipurpose facility. It serves many, many functions," he said. "I think it's also safe to say that there could be some improvements in the envi- ronment from a basketball standpoint. Our intention is within the course of this master plan to make some renovations and modi1cations to the Bryce Jordan Center to better accommodate some of the atmosphere that we would like to see." The issues regarding the BJC's basket- ball atmosphere are well-documented. Fan feedback over the years has been mixed, and the arena has been derided in the media as one of the worst in the Big Ten. Additionally, the basketball teams have occasionally been forced to practice elsewhere due to scheduling con2icts. The proposed standalone practice facility would eliminate those con2icts by pro- viding o4ces and priority use for the two programs. As with Beaver Stadium, there is no timetable for building the practice facility or for creating what athletic director Sandy Barbour called "a more intimate basketball environment" in the BJC. Those improvements may have to wait until a5er the university addresses the most immi- nent needs outlined in its master plan. There were no renderings of the basketball facilities on display at the announcement of the plan in March, but university o4- cials have been thinking about what those improvements would look like. "Some of the things that would make that a more intimate feel would be bring- ing seats closer to the court, particularly behind the baskets, if there's a way for us to do that," Esten said. "You take a look at where we were this past weekend in Washington, D.C. [for the Big Ten tour- nament at the Verizon Center] – that, too, had been built for multipurpose. There are ways to con1gure some of the seating behind the baskets to [give] it a more in- timate feel. "So we'll work with our partners at the Bryce Jordan Center to see if some of those things are possible. We don't have any an- swers right now." ■ NATATORIUM In- cluded in the first wave of projects that Penn State is looking to build in the next five years, the nat will either remain at its current site at the cor- ner of Bigler and Cur- tain roads or move to a site north of the outdoor track near Porter Road. Penn State is expected to decide in the coming months where to build the new facility, which will have a 10- lane, 50-meter com- petition pool, separate lap pool, a diving well and room for 2,500 spectators. Image courtesy of Penn State Athletics | but chances are just as great, if not more, that the 1nal design will look little like what you are seeing, espe- cially if Populous doesn't get the de- sign contract. PhillipintheValley Change is necessary. A trans- former-looking stadium is way out of date and not what recruits will want in a few years. Shiny and new is cool. AngryOtter I have grown to love the giant erec- tor set, but the new look is going to fit in with the good looks of the rest of the town now. Bet it's a marvel worthy of jealousy when it is com- pleted. PSUriseANDfire

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