Penn State sues State College Spikes over lease dispute, says team must leave ballpark
The long-term future of the State College Spikes at Medlar Field at Lubrano Park is in question after Penn State sued the organization, arguing its lease expired and that it must leave the ballpark it has called home since 2006.
In a lawsuit filed Tuesday, the university said it is seeking possession of the stadium and more than $1.7 million in unpaid termination rent and other costs.
The Spikes said in a written statement Friday that there is “zero merit” to the lawsuit or its allegations. The organization further described it as a “calculated effort to drive the State College Spikes out of business.”
“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 statement reads. “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.”
Penn State said in its own written statement that it values its partnership with the Spikes and the “role that the Spikes play in our community.”
“Despite the ongoing legal action, Penn State continues to be willing to work with the Spikes organization to explore a new facility usage agreement to keep the Spikes in State College,” a spokesperson wrote in an email to the Centre Daily Times.
At the center of the dispute is an operating agreement signed in 2006 that allowed the Spikes to play at the Penn State-owned ballpark. The deal gave the Spikes the option to renew the agreement for two 10-year terms.
According to the lawsuit, the first renewal extended the agreement through the end of September unless the organization exercised its final option for another decade in Happy Valley. Penn State claims the team failed to provide written notice of that second renewal by the April 2025 deadline.
Because the university says the option was never exercised, Penn State argues the agreement expired and the Spikes are now occupying the stadium without a valid lease.
Penn State said the two sides repeatedly attempted to negotiate a new agreement that “reflected the parties’ shared goals,” but were unsuccessful. According to the university, the Spikes insisted they had properly exercised their second renewal option and would not leave the ballpark.
Penn State previously pursued the dispute in a lower court, where District Judge Casey McClain ruled in February that the university was entitled to possession of the stadium. The Spikes then appealed the decision.
The lawsuit also said the Spikes missed the same notice requirement when exercising their first renewal option in 2015. Penn State said it accepted the late notice at the time, but maintained the requirement would still apply in the future.
The university did not directly answer why it did not accept a late renewal this time.
“The University filed a baseless lawsuit after its attempt to bulldoze the Spikes failed,” the Spikes wrote in its statement. “... The Spikes are the reason Medlar Field at Lubrano Park was built, funded by Commonwealth taxpayers and the Spikes themselves.”
Despite the legal dispute, the organization appears to be operating as usual. The Spikes have announced their 2026 schedule, which includes a home opener June 5.
When asked whether the team plans to play at Lubrano Park this season, team attorney David A. Strassburger said “Yes.”
The Spikes had been paying about $117,000 per year in rent. The team was also responsible for paying operating expenses such as utilities, maintenance, supplies and repairs.
As of Friday afternoon, no Centre County judge had been assigned to the case and no hearings had been scheduled.
