Will new PSU president bring the A.D. from Louisville to rebuild Beaver Stadium?
When Penn State hired its first female president, Neelli Bendapudi, in December, the decision was listed as one that is historical. She is the first female president and the first non-caucasian president in Penn State’s 166 years of existence.
Dr, Bendapudi has served as president of the University of Louisville since 2018, and she has a distinguished resume.
However, what Nittany Lions sports fans are interested in is her commitment to athletics. That is a little difficult to ascertain, but it is a good question.
One interesting aspect of her resume is that she has a business and financial background, which could be very helpful in raising money. However, the person whom she should consider bringing with her is Vince Tyra. His name is not one that many in athletics might know, but his impact at Penn State, which needs hundreds of millions dollars to bring its football edifice, Beaver Stadium, into the 21st Century.
Why Tyra?
Tyra is currently the Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics and Director of Athletics at Louisville, which is a much smaller university than Penn State. This is the one sentence that caught my eye in his Louisville bio,
Since his arrival, Tyra has put an emphasis on major capital projects and currently has several upgrades in progress.
Vince Tyra bio, University of Louisville
In addition, he is widely respected among his colleagues, being named as head of the ACC Athletic Directors last year,
Vince Tyra's job performance is being praised both on Louisville's campus and off of it.
Tyra was nominated to serve as chairman of the ACC's Athletic Directors Committee.
MATAS, “Tyra nominated to become chairman of ACC athletic directors,” WDRB, May 29, 2020
Vince Tyra, Chair of ACC Athletic Directors, has extensive business background
The boondoggle known as Beaver Stadium
The football stadium that the Nittany Lions use is called Beaver Stadium, and it needs major upgrades. The university announced a major athletic facilities upgrade in 2017, but under current AD Sandy Barbour, the renovations to the stadium have gone nowhere. Barbour was fired at UC-Berkeley for her inability to raise money and handle rebuilding projects.
A Sports Illustrated analysis of the situation earlier this year pointed out the huge amounts of money that would need to be raised to do the project right,
[T]he Athletics Facilities Master Plan announced in 2017 [is a] sweeping, 20-year project touched more than two dozen venues, created a 45,000-square-foot Center of Excellence and planned a significant refresh of Beaver Stadium.
But post-COVID, as Penn State addresses what it can spend on sports, an enormous Beaver Stadium project might not be feasible. Penn State officials have drawn parallels between their plans and the $485 million renovations Populous oversaw of Texas A&M's Kyle Field.
A similarly ambitious renovation of Beaver Stadium easily would top $500 million. Barbour called it a "massive, multiyear project" that is not close to any sort of groundbreaking. Still, is that the best use of Penn State's precious sports dollars?
Mark Wogenrich, “What should Penn State do with Beaver Stadium?” Sports Illustrated, May 31, 2021
Could Tyra do the job?
The Louisville A.D. has some significant experience in facilities improvement, but Louisville has nothing like Beaver Stadium to improve.
The S.I. analysis said that PSU should reconsider some of its plans that would cater to the well-to-do and focus on keeping 100,000 in their seats,
Fix what's broken
The erector set that is Beaver Stadium needs infrastructure work. Gates, ramps and concourses need to be widened to smooth fan access to their seats. Students consistently fill their sections late partly because of choked entry points and clogged walkways. And the bathrooms...
These are vital needs for Beaver Stadium that will improve the fan experience without altering the atmosphere. In fact, getting people in and out faster will enhance it.
Reconsider the fancy upgrades
Penn State officials said in 2017 that planned stadium upgrades included more suites, loge boxes and club seats. These are important revenue drivers and were requested in fan surveys. And they are part of renovations coming to Wisconsin's Camp Randall Stadium in 2022.
But Beaver Stadium doesn't need a new facade or a dramatic physical overhaul that would add nine figures to the renovation budget. Put that money into facilities that attract athletes instead. When was the last time athlete dorms and apartments were updated?
Beaver Stadium, built in 1960 and expanded seven times since, is an iconic U.S. facility that doesn't require a total overhaul. With the needed structural updates and some nods to the future, the stadium should serve Penn State football well for decades to come.
Mark Wogenrich, Sports Illustrated, May 31, 2021
Maybe Tyra is not the person for the job, but what has been clear is that Barbour and the top echelon in the athletic department need to be removed and new blood brought in that will do things like make its football program better than 11-11 the past two years and even field a basketball team that could be competitive in the Big Ten.
A person with Tyra’s business and fundraising background is essential for Penn State to move forward.
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