Penn State Headlines: More Athletic Facilities Projects Are Underway

Penn State has begun work on a variety of facilities upgrades in addition to the Beaver Stadium renovation.

A general view of Penn State's Beaver Stadium. / Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports

The long holiday weekend wasn't quiet for Penn State, which celebrated the beginning of Year 3 for Athletic Director Patrick Kraft, released some new facilities renderings and welcomed the son of one of its most famous sons.

We'll chat about that and more in this week's edition of Penn State Headlines.

Reflecting on 2023 while looking ahead: Penn State Athletics officially began its new fiscal year July 1, which also meant the beginning of contract Year 3 for Kraft. To commemorate, Kraft released a State of the Penn State Union newsletter highlighting the athletic successes of the past year. That included a national championship in wrestling, seven conference titles and 22 NCAA championship appearances.

Kraft's letter also featured renderings of several athletics projects underway, including the updated Jeffrey Field soccer facility and a new practice bubble that will alleviate scheduling pressures at the football team's Holuba Hall. The budget for these projects is about $90 million.

A memorable July 4th commitment: LaVar Arrington is one of Penn State's biggest stars, past and present. And he's loyal to the program. Arrington has been a steadfast advocate for head coach James Franklin, who called the linebacker a "true Penn Stater" when Arrington was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Now, Arrington's son will play at Penn State as well.

LaVar Arrington II, a 3-star athlete from California, committed to Penn State on July 4. And what number did Arrington wear for a photo shoot on his recruiting visits? Eleven, of course. His father posted this video on Instagram.

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A post shared by LaVar Arrington (@king_of_the_mammals)

Former Penn State player killed in car accident: Tragic news from early Saturday morning. A.J. Lytton, a former Nittany Lions cornerback, was among three people killed when the car in which they were traveling was struck by another vehicle as part of a three-car accident in Maryland. All three were high school football teammates and played football in college. The crash is under investigation. Maryland police said alcohol might have been involved.

The lettermen return: Penn State has been on a hiring role lately involving football lettermen. Omar Easy returned as director of the Penn State Brand Academy, Michael Mauti joined the Nittany Lion Club and Jordan Hill accepted a position as director of life skills for the football program. In all, 16 former Nittany Lions work in the athletic department in some capacity, and Franklin has hired 11 of them.

A "make-or-break" season? Penn State would have made five College Football Playoff appearances had the 12-team format been in place in 2016. Now that the playoff is 12 teams, some voices consider Penn State among those teams that needs to be involved. Or else what remains to be seen.

Time to catch a recruiting breath: College football's recruiting calendar is in a "dead" period until July 25, when recruits again can make campus visits. Though players continue to commit, this stretch marks a good time to pause and assess the June recruiting race. Seth Engle covers Penn State's frenetic June from every angle.

Hot Reads

Looking for some names to watch on Penn State's roster? Seth Engle introduces six players poised to take a step forward this season.

Kraft spoke to Blue-White Illustrated's Nate Bauer about Beaver Stadium, NIL and more in this interview (premium content).

Former Penn State tight end discussed 1994, Joe Paterno and Bill Belichick in an interview with Johnny McGonigal of PennLive (premium content).

Is this a playoff-or-bust season for the Nittany Lions? Audrey Snyder examines the topic for The Athletic.

AllPennState is the place for Penn State news, opinion and perspective on the SI.com network. Publisher Mark Wogenrich has covered Penn State for more than 20 years, tracking three coaching staffs, three Big Ten titles and a catalog of great stories. Follow him on X (or Twitter) .