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Penn State Releases New Renderings of Planned Athletics Projects

Penn State Trustees approved more than $90 million in facilities funding in 2023. The projects are underway.

Mark Wogenrich

A general view of a Penn State University sign outside of Beaver Stadium.
A general view of a Penn State University sign outside of Beaver Stadium. / Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
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Penn State on Tuesday released a new series of renderings highlighting some of the $90 million in athletics construction and renovation projects underway on campus. The plans are part of a massive collection of upgrades to Penn State athletics facilities, which include the $700 million renovation of Beaver Stadium.

In a letter to fans recapping Penn State's sports season, Athletic Director Patrick Kraft included renderings of Jeffrey Field, the Greenberg Indoor Sports Complex and the East Area Locker Room, all of which are undergoing renovations. In addition, the letter included renderings of the new indoor practice bubble that will be located near Beaver Stadium.

In May 2023, Penn State's Board of Trustees approved more than $160 million for the projects, $70 million of which was assigned to the first phase of the Beaver Stadium renovation. The projects impact all 31 Penn State varsity programs.

"You've got to be able to go put your money where your mouth is," Kraft has said. "If you are committed to go win a national championship, and I am in everything, then we have to be able to do it and find the resources."

Jeffrey Field, home of Penn State's men and women's soccer since 1972, will see a major overhaul. Plans call for a new operations center, locker rooms, training and treatment facilities, coaches' offices and more. The addition will comprise about 24,000 square feet and serve as the programs' home facility. "Our soccer programs have been among the best in the country, and this world-class new complex is a deserved home for them," Kraft said. The project initially was budgeted at $21.25 million and is scheduled to be completed in October 2025.

The Greenberg Indoor Sports Center, once the home of Penn State hockey, will become a "hub for performance dining, wellness and athletic training services," according to a Penn State post on X. Penn State plans a 38,000-square-foot training table for athletes from all 31 varsity sports. The venue will serve meals and house fitness and recovery spaces.

According to Penn State, "the addition of an all-sport training table will provide the 800-plus student-athletes with a space to fuel to the prescribed needs of a high-performance athlete, as well as a space for all 31 teams to be able to interact with each other to continue to develop the athletics community." The project initially was budgeted at $31.9 million and is scheduled to be completed in August 2025.

The East Area Locker Room project plans office space, an athletic lounge and a fuel station for the 16 programs that use the space. It was budgeted at $5.2 million and is nearing completion.

The Indoor Practice Facility is a seasonal bubble available for Olympic sports athletes. The bubble will cover 106,000 square feet and can be taken down annually. Ten programs use Holuba Hall, the football program's indoor facility, during winter, making practice schedules difficult to coordinate. The bubble will alleviate that stress and is significantly cheaper than a permanent structure, Kraft told the trustees' finance committee. He called it an "urgent" need that also could serve as event space. The initial budget was $9.4 million, and the facility is scheduled to be ready for use this fall.

Kraft recently completed his second year as Penn State's athletic director. His letter recapped the Nittany Lions' successes last season, including a wrestling national championship, seven conference titles and 22 NCAA appearances. It also noted the two major events Penn State venues hosted: the 2024 U.S. Olympic Wrestling Trials at the Bryce Jordan Center and a Luke Combs concert in April at Beaver Stadium.

"Those events are just the beginning!" Kraft's letter said.

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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) @MarkWogenrich.

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Mark Wogenrich

MARK WOGENRICH

Mark Wogenrich is Editor and Publisher of AllPennState, the site for Penn State news on SI's FanNation Network. He has covered Penn State sports for more than two decades across three coaching staffs and three Rose Bowls.

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