The Penn State Board of Trustees passed a motion to fund a renovation to the Lasch Building during their virtual meeting on Friday afternoon.

The planned renovation will cost $48.3 million, which is to be paid through private gifts and borrowing. The university has raised $8 million for the project so far.

Among the planned upgrades are the following:

— A first floor weight room expansion

— Strength training and conditioning upgrades

— A new lobby entrance

— Mechanical and electrical systems upgrades

— A student athlete and development suite that will house a "Fifth Quarter" program, designed to help student athletes accustom themselves to college life and professional life thereafter

— Sports medicine upgrades

— A new hydrotherapy pool

— Trainer and assistant trainer offices

— Graduate assistant and student trainer workstations

"We have continued to invest in our athletics facilities the last several years, and the Lasch Building has been a big part of that," Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics Sandy Barbour said in a prepared statement on Thursday. "We always strive to provide our student-athletes quality facilities which will prepare them for a lifetime of impact, while competing for national championships in all 31 sports. Our alumni and donors have supported our Football Excellence Fund since its inception in recognition of the investment required to support a consistently excellent football program. We will continue to fundraise for this renovation, as well as future projects in our football facilities, and will need the support of our entire Penn State community."

Head coach James Franklin echoed a similar sentiment in the same statement, calling the renovations necessary to compete at the highest level.

The motion, which aligns with Penn State's facilities master plan, was passed by a final vote of 27-6, but not without plenty of prior deliberation.

Among those dissenting was Jay Paterno, former Penn State offensive coordinator and the son of former head coach Joe Paterno.

Paterno's view, similar to those of the other No voters who spoke, expressed concerns about taking on the project with so much financial uncertainty sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"My former boss used to say, football is here to serve the university, not the other way around," Paterno said.

"Over the past year our administration and our board have asked our university to make difficult sacrifices. Employees have been furloughed. Academic budgets have been cut. Salaries have been frozen or slashed. Maintenance on buildings has been postponed. Proposed academic building projects have been put on hold.

"We have students who are sleeping in the HUB at night. We have students who are hungry. We have battled to make Penn State more affordable. We have a moral obligation to do that. How do we look the people we are asking to make sacrifices in the eye, and then borrow and spend this money?"

His full comment is available here.

In contrast, former Penn State and NFL linebacker and BOT member Brandon Short gave an impassioned argument in favor of spending more on football, arguing that investment in athletics is likely to result in financial reward for the university.

"There's no other place where we can get a higher return on our investment than an investment in our football program," he said.

"Penn State has a strong balance sheet that has the financial flexibility to withstand unforeseen events. Our competitors are making massive investments in our football program. If we do not match of exceed these investments, we will be left behind."

*******

• Talk about this article inside The Lions Den

• Watch our videos and subscribe to our YouTube channel

• Learn more about our print and digital publication, Blue-White Illustrated

• Follow us on Twitter: @BWIonRivals, @NateBauerBWI, @RivalsSnyder, @DavidEckert98

• Follow us on Instagram

• Like us on Facebook