Live updates: Patrick Kraft signing day press conference

Penn State athletic director Patrick Kraft is meeting with the media on Wednesday afternoon at Beaver Stadium. Wrapping his second season overseeing the Nittany Lion football program, he’ll provide updates on happenings at Lasch and beyond.

Blue White Illustrated is covering his responses live from Beaver Stadium, presented below.

Live updates: Patrick Kraft signing day press conference

(Page does not refresh automatically. Paraphrased responses will appear in reverse chronological order. Press conference has ended at 1:58 p.m.)

Questions in the room

On teams joining the Big Ten:

Doesn’t care. It’s not disparaging them. You gotta get better. It’s not about Oregon, Washington, UCLA or USC. It’s about Penn State. Can win the whole thing, but have to do what’s right for Penn State. Bring in kids that want to be at Penn State. Does not lose sleep over it. Might at other jobs, but not here. All of these things have to get done to achieve what they want. They’re coming and it’s going to be a different day, one that they’re all excited about.

On personal takeaways here:

Loves it. Kids love school. Loves Happy Valley. An amazing place. Wife Betsey and being in the community, being in their house, being out of the rental, established roots. Have so much to accomplish professionally. Staff knows this: He’s a grinder. Sees what they can achieve every day here. Just can’t stop. That’s 31 deep. On a golf call last night. Other projects. What to do to enhance wrestling. You can feel and see. Can win. There is no ceiling here. So exciting. But have to work with the process in front of you. 

What the team does for seven football Saturdays is just short of miraculous. For as many people come in and be passionate is incredible. This building, this season, it never gets old. Don’t take this for granted. The whole thing is very special.

On Andy Kotelnicki contract/buyout:

It’s Penn State football. Hates to be that bold. But honestly a testament to who they have in that building, starting with James, but the student-athletes, to want to work with that group. He was with Lance for a long time. But his story about the helmet was good. This is a top 10 program fighting to win a national championship. That’s the focus. Will hire the best people to do that. Hopes Andy saw that in the process that this would be a great opportunity for him. And being around James’ team, the staff, could see this is special. Really happy it worked out. Great fit.

On Winter Classic at Beaver Stadium:

Winterization is happening as they speak. Will be good with that. As you can see with Luke Combs, have to use this building more. Would sign up for a hockey game in this building today. A lot of moving parts and working with the NHL. Want them to know they’re open to it. Need to use this building for more revenue generation. Opened the doors for yoga/Lion King/Luke Combs. A bunch of stuff outside of hockey. Trying to do things to engage. Needs to be a special event to sell this building. Certain events that can handle the volume of this building.

On Chip Kelly comments/leadership:

The Big Ten and Tony have done a good job. Good to have outside eyes on issues. Governor Baker trying hardest to work through it. Tony doing a good job working behind the scenes with commissioners. Not as easy to solve, they all know. But this isn’t sustainable and not the right course of action. As much as time on campus talking about NIL and collectives, nationally in meetings it has become a real priority.

Everyone is working every angle. Work commissioners with congress. Trying to get everyone to say we’ve had enough, how can you address it. So many layers and it’s challenging. Living through it real time.

On preserving culture while more people involved externally:

You’re not trying to avoid NIL. Athletes should be able to have that. But culture is so important. Why he loves being AD at Penn State. All these things these athletes do off the field. Coaches at a high level where culture is important. Have to be honest with athletes. Honest with process. Find a way and do it the way you can sustain. It’s not a sustainable model of just paying a player. Locker rooms hearing from everyone. Believes with 833 student athletes and coaches that there can be honesty and trust. Building culture of all in it together. That communication is an important piece of it. A lot of people trying to infiltrate that. You can’t bat 1.000, but culture piece is so important. No undue pressure. Take your time, do it the right way. Do it the right way to be able to recruit the best.

On NIL and outsourcing funding to fans:

Not sustainable. Thankfully only spending 30 percent of time on NIL space, which is vastly different from when he got here. Has said it repeatedly. The one area they can’t help student-athletes the way he wants. It’s not the way it should be. Will see how it evolves. Still evolving. Right in the middle of spinning NCAA world. Just a matter of where it ends up.

On Lasch construction:

Once they move out on Saturday, will really get moving on second floor renovations. That’s actually starting. Doing prep work over there. Moving offices to temp space.

On hiring process:

James is so prepared for these moments. Great to go through the process with him. Here to support him and be a sounding board. But starts with who the right fit is. Four-down team, that has to be a piece of it. But very focused on that. Starts with big list and whittling it down. Who is the right fit? That building works at such a high level, will never turn over the keys to someone who doesn’t fit. Thoughtful and high level. 

Calls friends of people, gets different perspective. No different from how Pat handles head coaching searches. He has his process. It’s like everything else. 1-0.

On transfer portal/tampering:

It’s everywhere now. Talk about it ad nauseam. Wild west right now. In Las Vegas for Olu award. On the way there, got an email that eight athletes, and got an email about a Penn State player being shopped by an agent, and he wasn’t in the portal. 

The tampering is real. Had a conversation with someone the other day, and the people making the rules are the ones who follow it. Proud of James and this class. But NCAA has to be inundated with it. Everyone talking about it.

Opening statement

Graduation success rate of student athletes at 93 percent. That will always be the standard here. Proud of athletes. 13 teams had perfect GSR. Four women’s soccer academic all americans. Proud of them. Football had a program record 93 percent GSR. True team achievements in and out of classroom.

Added clinical psychologists. Working to add to sports performance portion. Needed to get mental health figured out. Good spot there and will continue to add and grow.

Busy in the construction space. Not only the monster projects going on, but nutrition stations. That’s Peglua, Greenberg, all 833 student-athletes from nutrition standpoint. White Building, multi-sport, east area. Modern, grab and go nutrition stations.

Projects: Went to the board. Beaver Stadium. 30 percent into the design of the building. Like building a village. Hasn’t briefed board or Neeli on where they are on the project. 30 percent is where the pipes go in, circulation. It’s ongoing. Feel really good about where they’re headed. Looking at everything from concourses, bathrooms, west side, premium. Nothing they aren’t evaluating.

Just as important, 75 percent into design for Greenberg. Close to finishing that up. Finishing fundraising. Want that ready 2025 fall. 

Jeffrey field, 90 percent through that design. Closing finances and capital gifts. Excited about what that looks like. The way it should be for those two nationally recognized teams. 

Construction at Medlar, not truly their facility, but phased construction. Surface. Upgrading lights. New scoreboard. Locker room, clubhouse, recovery spaces, in joint partnership with the Spikes. 

Finally East Area with 500 athletes in that space. It’s almost done. That will be enhanced nutrition center, sports performance, weight room. That houses lacrosse, field hockey. Total transformation and hope to start that in Jan/Feb if they can get that lined up.