By Ben Jones

Penn State football will see $1.75 million of a $5 million dollar gift to the university go towards Lasch Building renovations. Ira Lubert, a 1973 Penn State graduate and chair of the university’s Board of Trustees, committed the $5 million gift that was announced on Monday morning.

In total more than $3 million will be used to support endowed scholarships, including $2.4 million for the Millennium Scholars program; $500,000 for an Open Doors Scholarship at the Abington campus; and support for the Rod Kirsch Renaissance Scholarship and a new scholarship in Health and Human Development.

Additionally, another $100,000 will be used to support Lion’s Pantry, which was chosen as the 2017 class gift and addresses the issue of hunger at Penn State.

“Having served on the Board of Trustees for many years and now as chair, I am aware of the vast potential of Penn State’s students, faculty and programs, and I know how philanthropy can fuel their achievements,” said Lubert in a statement. “I’m fortunate that, in part because of my Penn State education, I can give back and help support the future of my alma mater and its graduates.”

“Leading by example, Ira has long served the University through his many volunteer efforts as well as his philanthropic giving,” said Penn State President Eric Barron in a release. “With his vantage point, he is able to identify where giving will have the most impact and has stepped up to fill critical needs. We are very thankful for his commitment to Penn State and for his generosity that will broadly benefit Penn State students and programs.”

While the implications and impact of a multi-million dollar gift are fairly apparent, the $1.75 million will go a long way towards various upgrades across Penn State’s football complex. James Franklin spent much of this spring’s coaches caravan tour discussing the need to continue improvements and upgrades inside the Lasch Building, secondary to Penn State’s recently released facilities master plan which includes a massive renovation of Beaver Stadium.

No timeline or fundraising effort has been announced yet for that particular plan.