Lease fight between Penn State, Spikes heats up as PSU asks judge for clarity on park use
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Penn State seeks interim court-ordered operating rules for the ballpark during appeal.
- Penn State alleges Spikes neglected maintenance and owe $1.7M in termination rent.
- Spikes deny claims, appealed the eviction, and say they’ll defend in court.
Penn State asked a Centre County judge Thursday for clarity on how Medlar Field at Lubrano Park may be used while the university and the State College Spikes work through an increasingly tense lease dispute.
In its filing, Penn State said the Spikes remain at the university-owned ballpark without a lease and have shown an “apparent and general lack of oversight and care” for the property.
Attorneys for the university said the Spikes have failed to maintain everything from the bathrooms and dugouts to cracks in concrete fixtures and the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system in the suites.
In a written statement shared Friday with the Centre Daily Times, the Spikes said they have operated the ballpark in “exemplary fashion, as legions of people who have attended Spikes games and other events over the years already know.”
“To portray the Spikes in the false light the University has concocted in an ever escalating attempt to force the Spikes out of business is reckless and should be beneath the University,” the organization said. “The Spikes look forward to presenting the truth in court at the appropriate time.”
Penn State also said it has been forced to “essentially subsidize the existence of Spikes Baseball at significant and unfair cost to the university.” According to the filing, the Spikes have repeatedly fallen behind on payments and improperly billed the university for inflated costs.
“The University was forced to make certain financial concessions to support Spikes Baseball’s ability to continue operating its organization in the Centre County region,” attorney Alexander R. Bilus wrote. “Indeed, at times the University had to assume some of the financial obligations of Spikes Baseball to help keep Spikes Baseball afloat.”
The Spikes’ statement did not address Penn State’s financial claims.
After the Spikes appealed a lower court’s decision that granted Penn State possession of the property, the eviction was essentially put on hold throughout the duration of the appeal. Working with an expired lease that did not contain a holdover clause, Penn State is now seeking a court-ordered operating structure that covers scheduling, security, maintenance and more.
Penn State said in its filing that the university offered new, less complicated operating terms that would have reduced the Spikes’ obligations during the appeal period, but the organization declined.
In addition to Penn State baseball, the university said it needs the ballpark for the President’s Tailgate, an AG Progress Days reception, a World Campus summer graduation reception and more.
“Without interim court intervention, the parties lack clear guidance regarding responsibility for these tasks and expenses during the pendency of the appeal,” Penn State’s attorneys wrote.
A conference with Centre County Judge Brian Marshall is scheduled for April 8.
Future of Spikes season unclear
The dispute stemmed from a 2006 operating agreement that gave the Spikes two 10-year renewal options. Penn State said the Spikes failed to renew the agreement by an April deadline, leading to the lease’s expiration at the end of September.
The university is also seeking more than $1.7 million in unpaid termination rent. The Spikes called the lawsuit a “calculated effort to drive the State College Spikes out of business” and said it has “zero merit.”
“Penn State’s actions are an affront to the history of the ballpark, the wishes and best interests of the Happy Valley community, the financial contribution of Commonwealth taxpayers, and the agreement of and history between the parties,” the organization said in a written statement. “The Spikes will defend themselves, not only for their own sake, but also for the sake of everyone who has loved and supported the Spikes for two decades.”
A Penn State spokesperson told the CDT the university is willing to work with the Spikes on a new agreement that would “keep the Spikes in State College.”
The lawsuit said the Spikes missed the same notice requirement when their first renewal period came up in 2015, but Penn State nonetheless accepted. The university did not directly answer why it did not accept a late renewal this time.
The Spikes appeared to be operating as usual as of the beginning of March. The organization previously announced its 2026 schedule, which includes a home opener June 5, and team attorney David A. Strassburger said “Yes” when asked whether the team plans to play at Lubrano Park this season.
It was not immediately clear if Penn State’s latest filing could change that.
