Penn State trustees have voted 27-6 to approve a major expansion and renovation of the university's Lasch Football Building.
The Harrisburg Patriot-News reports that athletic department leaders argued the upgrades were needed to match competitive pressures from other top-ranked football programs.
The Lasch Building is the team’s off-the-field headquarters where players spend most of their non-practice time, housing offices for coaches and football staff, training and conditioning facilities, and class and meeting facilities for game study and player development programs.
The $48.3 million project is set to kick off in the spring,
Opponents of the proposal said they felt uncomfortable dedicating university resources to the football project during a pandemic recession when some Penn State employees have been furloughed, departmental budgets have been cut and maintenance projects have been deferred.
But supporters said it was important to take into account the all-university benefits that a successful football program has.
Brandon Short, a board member who was once a linebacker for the Nittany Lions, said “our competitors are making massive investments in their football programs. If we do not match or exceed these investments, we will be left behind.”
Penn State had already put the Lasch project on hold for a year because of the pandemic.
Specifics of the new Lasch project:
* A first-floor weight room expansion and performance enhancement equipment upgrades.
* A student-athlete development suite to house Penn State’s “5th Quarter Program,” which is designed to help student-athletes transition from high school to college, and then from college to the professional ranks.
* Sports medicine upgrades including a new hydrotherapy pool to aid in treatment and rehabilitation of players. Athlete training tables, taping tables and an open rehabilitation space are designed to maximize visibility from a safety perspective.
* A new player lobby entrance and mechanical and electrical system upgrades.
