Another $10 million donation to fund Beaver Stadium renovation, boost Penn State football

Penn State football will benefit from yet another eight-figure gift to help fund the massive Beaver Stadium renovations.

The fourth huge donation − a $10 million commitment from trustee emeritus Ira Lubert and his wife, Pam Estadt − was announced Thursday by university officials. The monies will be targeted to fun the stadium's new welcome center.

The "Lubert Family Welcome Center" will, according to a news release, "serve both as the entrance for fans on Penn State Football game days and as the first stop for prospective undergraduates and their families as they begin campus tours and participate in other programming ..."

This is the fourth large donation Penn State has received in the past month to help fund the projected $700 million Beaver Stadium renovations announced this spring. This follows a $25 million gift from the Misitano family and PAM Health and two anonymous $10 million donations.

Renovation work to add amenities such as premium seating and suites, new elevators restrooms and concessions, is scheduled to begin upon completion of the 2024 football season and should conclude by the summer of 2027.

Penn State's BOT approved the first $70 million for the project in May of 2023. That included design and consulting work, backlogged maintenance and ongoing winterization of Beaver Stadium in order to host a potential December College Football Playoff game.

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That last major project at the stadium came in 2001 with the addition of the upper deck above the south end zone.

This most recent gift will fund the stadium's welcome center that will, aside from football Saturday's, be used year-round for other campus and community activities.

Lubert and Estadt's $10 million donation will fund construction and programming at the welcome center. Lubert is a former Penn State wrestler who graduated from the university in 1973. He has belonged to and chaired the Penn State Board of Trustees and his past philanthropic efforts have involved athletics, scholarships and food security.

"As a former student-athlete, Ira Lubert has represented Penn State Athletics and the University with distinction throughout his life and career, and his achievements reflect the kind of excellence that competition at the highest levels can foster," Penn State athletic director Pat Kraft said in a news release. "We are honored he and Pam have chosen to make this transformative investment in a project that will help all Penn Staters thrive.

"The Lubert Family Welcome Center is a beacon for this Beaver Stadium Revitalization project and will create a front door for University that will not only welcome future Penn Staters, but also welcome home our amazing alumni."

Frank Bodani covers Penn State football for the York Daily Record and USA Today Network. Contact him at fbodani@ydr.com and follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @YDRPennState.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: A $10 million donation to support Penn State Beaver Stadium renovation