Renovations on the way in Happy Valley | Pat Kraft notebook

Story posted December 19, 2022 in CommRadio, Sports by Alex Rocco

Before smelling the roses and heading to Pasadena, Penn State held its local Rose Bowl media day on Friday.

Taking the podium first was Penn State’s Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics, Patrick Kraft, before his first bowl game as the Nittany Lions athletic director.  

Kraft discussed a myriad of topics, such as NIL, facility renovations and his relationship with James Franklin and the rest of the coaching staff.

Here are the biggest takeaways from Kraft’s media availability.

Renovations

When Kraft first arrived in Happy Valley on Apr. 29, he emphasized the importance of upgrading the facilities on campus.

Eight months later, the goal remains the same.

Beaver Stadium generates a great deal of revenue for the program, and on Friday, Kraft mentioned the university is “close” to having plans for a renovation.

Over the past decade, there have been 19 studies conducted on how to best renovate Beaver Stadium, but nothing has come from it.

Kraft mentioned a plan will be presented to Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi in February for how best to renovate one of the largest stadiums in the nation.

“It is a huge project,” Kraft said. “I’d make no bones about it. I love this building. I love coming to this building, Beaver Stadium. I love the history of this building. I want to make this building better, and we have to do that.”

When asked if building a brand new stadium was a possibility, Kraft didn’t reject the idea as  renovations cost a lot of money but mentioned, “nobody is building a 100,000-seat stadium.”

Beaver Stadium is the second-largest college football stadium holding 106,572 people, and having one of the most raucous crowds in the country is something Kraft and the university are proud of.

“We are very proud of having 107,000 and over 100,000 fans,” Kraft said. “That’s important to us. I think that is an important piece to who we are.”

However, Beaver Stadium wasn’t the only venue Kraft discussed needing a facelift.

The blue and white have one of the most historic wrestling programs in the nation, but according to Kraft Rec Hall doesn’t meet the standard the team has set.

“The training room there is absolutely inadequate,” Kraft said. “We are working on enhancing the training.”

Penn State is fundraising to upgrade Jeffrey Field, the home of the men’s and women’s soccer teams, which doesn’t have locker rooms or on-sight plumbing.

The field hockey facilities have been under renovation since earlier this fall, and it is expected to be completed by the fall of 2023.

Kraft also said the tennis courts and Panzer Stadium need to be fixed in the coming years.

NIL

Name image and likeness has transformed the high school and collegiate landscapes since the spring of 2022.

When Kraft spoke this summer at Big Ten media days, he said Penn State was well behind in NIL, and the beginning part of his tenure was improving in that area.

“I feel like we are in a good spot,” Kraft said. “I don’t lose as much sleep over it anymore. Do we have to get better? Yes. This is here to stay. This is part of the world we are living in.”

Penn State has a deal with fanatics to sell jerseys for all of the teams on campus, not just football. Ultimately Kraft wants to put the 800-plus student-athletes in the best position possible for their futures with NIL.

“You can run with it,” Kraft said. “Some don’t. Some don’t want to run with it. I'm going to give you every opportunity, but let's make sure we're doing the right things and understanding your brand.”

Relationships

Despite having worked with each other for a short time, Kraft and Franklin have formed a great friendship. What stands out the most to Kraft about Franklin is the love he has for his players and the family bond the team has.

“There is a great love between both of them,” Kraft said. “Everything he does is about helping their cause and what helps them reach their full potential.”

Franklin and Kraft have lofty goals for the program, and much of Kraft’s job is helping put his head coach in a position to succeed.

Retaining assistant coaches is a large part of that, and Penn State still ranks in the top three in the conference for assistant coaches’ salaries, per Kraft.

“I will always be committed to keeping our staff together,” Kraft said. “That will always be in concert with James. I have told James ‘What do we need to be successful? What do we need to do to win a National Championship?’ So, I think keeping staff is critical.”

Alex Rocco is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email alex.rocco1702@gmail.com.