Penn State Football: O'Brien Changes Mind on Holuba Hall Reconfiguration

Updated at 11:02 p.m. May 20

Just heard back from Alex Novak, a spokesman for the Office of Physical Plant. Sounds like the turf is not getting replaced, either.

"We will continue with the exterior repair work at the trench drains and the canopies at the overhead doors in July, but the turf replacement has been postponed indefinitely," Novak wrote in an email.

Earlier at 7:50 a.m. May 19

First-year Penn State coach Bill O'Brien still is learning about the traditions and old ways of the Joe Paterno regime.

Recently, O'Brien discovered why Paterno had two 80-yard fields inside Holuba Hall, the team's indoor practice facility.

It caused some slight modifications to the $1.5 million renovation project the university's Board of Trustees announced earlier this month for the building.

"[Paterno] had it broken up into two fields, and I was thinking about changing that to one field," O'Brien said Thursday night on Yahoo! radio's new show hosted by Dan Wetzel and Pat Forde.

"But I heard about why he did that and he wanted an offensive and a defensive field, and I felt like that was a good idea so I'm gonna keep that the way it is."

The school had announced a project to replace the artificial turf in Holuba Hall, totally revamp the field dimensions and improve its drainage system.

Two 80-yard fields were to be replaced by one 120-yard field.

Now, only two of those things are happening this summer. Team spokesman Jeff Nelson confirmed there will be no changes to the two-field configuration.

The project will be paid for from the Intercollegiate Athletics self-supporting funds.

Related coverage:

• Penn State Football: Holuba Hall to See Major Changes

• StateCollege.com's Penn State football page