Penn State Opens New $90 Million Ice Hockey Arena

University Not Quite Ready to Get Back to Academics After Horrific Scandal in Football Program

Penn State University has been in the news in recent years, and not in a good way.  The University allowed an assistant football coach to sexually attack young boys on its campus, and protected that coach and covered up the problem in order to secure the reputation of its football program.  The coach is now in jail, hopefully forever and many of the people involved are facing a reckoning in court.

But for those worried that the Sandusky tragedy would affect Penn State’s commitment to sports need not fear.  The University just opened a fabulous new hockey arena.

Gene J. Puskar/Associated Press

An overflow crowd of 6,370 watched Friday as Penn State defeated Army, 4-1, in the first college hockey game at the $90 million Pegula Ice Arena.  What an upgrade to the quality of education at Penn State - The Physics Department must be thrilled!

The 5,782-seat Pegula Ice Arena, which has 14 luxury suites and 525 club seats, was designed to maximize Penn State’s home-ice advantage. During the planning stage, Pegula told Battista that one of his goals was to build “the most rocking arena in college hockey.” The low, flat ceiling lined with sheet metal magnifies the crowd noise.

“I want it to be so loud in there, it sounds like a little child inside a tin can with a hammer,” said Pegula, who also owns the N.H.L.’s Buffalo Sabres.

The Pegula gentleman named is the person who provided the money for the arena, so at least no public funding was involved here, although it is likely that if one were to delve deeply into the project one would find at least indirect financial support from the state of Pennsylvania and from money from the school that could have been used on frivolous stuff, like education.

But there is good news, so far there has been no revelations about hockey coaches abusing young children in the hockey arena.